KSU men's golf looks to defend title

KSU men's golf looks to defend title
By Eric Fuller

Just weeks after University of Georgia alumni Bubba Watson donned the green jacket, a school further west looks to make its mark on the golfing world.  KSU will look to defend its Atlantic Sun title after coming off its first tournament win of the season.  Seniors Jeff Karlson, Matt Nagy and junior Ben Greene prepare to lead their team on Monday, and hope to repeat the success they had at the conference tournament last season.   

KSU will host Atlantic Sun tournament

The KSU men’s golf team will host the 2012 Atlantic Sun Men’s Golf Championships in Braselton, Ga., at the Chateau Elan Legends Golf Club this week.  The Owls will look to defend their 2011 Atlantic Sun title, as they prepare for the conference tournament.  The tournament is set to start early Monday morning at 8 a.m.  If successful, the Owl will become the fourth school to win back-to-back Atlantic Sun championships in the last 10 years.  East Tennessee State was the most recent school to accomplish such a feat, winning the conference title four years straight, from 2006 to 2010.

Team wins first title of season

The team is coming off a very successful tournament win at the Memphis Intercollegiate. “Winning on a quality field in Memphis gives us a good boost,” said KSU Head Coach Jay Moseley.  “That golf course will be very similar to the one we will see at conference, and I think that will really help prepare us mentally and physically.”  The team displayed its depth and talent, as two individuals finish in the top-five.  Junior Ben Greene helped win the teams first tournament title of the season, as well as his first individual title, finishing with score -1 over the 54-hole event.  He is the first KSU player to win an individual title since April 20, 2011 when senior Jeff Karlson won the Atlantic Sun Championship.  “I spent a lot of time working on all the things I have been struggling with all season,” Greene said. “I went into this tournament trying not to think about all of the mechanics. I said I was going to forget about it all and just play golf. I putted well all tournament and knew that if I played my best I had a chance to win.”  Senior Matt Nagy finished in third place.

Ben Greene captured his first title of the season, winning the Memphis Intercollegiate.

Course will play big factor

“He’s in a really good position to play well again this week,” Moseley said about Greene.  “He loves the golf course we are going to at conference, and that will really help his confidence and being comfortable on the course.”  The course will undoubtedly play a huge factor in the Owls game plan for the conference tournament.  While the venue for the tournament will be the same, the teams will compete on a different field than the previous year before.  “We have played this side before,” Moseley said.  “You have to hit it straight and you have to putt well.  It’s a course that will play into the hands of our team.  We are certainly capable of being one of the top teams at the tournament.”

North Florida looks to make push

Conference rival North Florida is coming off a big victory at the Gary Koch Invitational.  The Owls will look to outplay their conference foe as both teams are coming off momentous wins.  “North Florida has a talented squad, and they are playing well coming in,” Moseley said.  “We can’t worry about what they do. We just have to play our game.  I think if we do that and play our best we’ll certainly be capable of giving them a run for the championship title.”

The men hope to build off success

The Owls dominated the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament last season, scoring -7 under, and finishing nine strokes over UNF.  The team’s score of 845 was the lowest team score in the Atlantic Sun Championship since 2006, when Jacksonville also won with a score of 845.  The men’s team will be competing just days after the KSU women took home their first conference title.  “It’s great that they won,” Moseley said.  “It gives us some encouragement and motivation to go out and win.  We want to position ourselves for a chance in the final round.  If we can do that, I like our chances.”  With the Owls playing the way that they are, a slim chance could be all that they need.  For updates throughout the tournament, you can follow the team on Twitter @KSUOwlsMensGolf.

The newspaper killer.

I'll admit, being a young, frivolous 20 something year old, I very rarely rush to my nearest newspaper stand and grab the newest copy of the paper.  In fact, I really don't engage in news reading much at all, which is something I'm ashamed to say.  You could say that the reason for the decline in newspapers is because of people like me.  Young people who have always had a different medium for acquiring their news.  Young people who would rather read news from an electric glowing screen called an iPhone, than off of a piece of paper.

I say that the vast advancements in technology are responsible for leaving newspapers sulking in the corner, jealousy pouring from every pore of their skin.  Being a 21-year-old who recently started taking classes on the evolution of news and media, I decided that I don't know nearly enough to tell someone "I told you so!"  I figured I better do a little research before I start pointing fingers.

What is the real reason for the decline in newspapers?

I discovered an interesting article written by Jay Yarow on CNN that talked about the influence of advertisers.  It was a surprise to read that many people blame blogs for the rapid decrease of newspapers.  Until I began writing my own blog, I wouldn't even have known where to begin looking for news in the blog world.  I'm still unsure how to do that.  Others blame sites such as Facebook and Twitter.  These sites don't give you world news, rather, they tell you what your sister is doing or which one of your friends is engaging in what George Carlin called, “involuntary personal protein spill” the morning after drinking at the local watering hole.

Advertisers have moved to bigger and better things, like the internet.

The article focused most of its attention on advertisers, and their extremely stealthy influence on everything news and media.  Advertisers are "fleeing newspapers for the greener, cheaper pastures of the internet" according to Yarow.  They have left newspapers and are now providing their wonderful services to the internet. 

It makes sense.  My professor told us earlier in the year that advertising is a big part of most newspapers income.  If a newspaper couldn't make the vast amount of income it needed when it was popular, it will obviously struggle when its main form of income bolts for the new, better looking girl in town.  I am simply amazed at how secretively they are doing it.  Framing blogs and social networking?  That is ingenious, if you ask me.       

Thank you Chipper Jones, for everything.

In a city full of history, there are few icons that have a profound influence on a large number of people.  Chipper Jones was the exception.  Men looked up to him.  Woman looked up to him.  Children literally looked up to him.  Birds perched on the top of Turner Field looked down at him.  All eyes were on him.  For 19 years, he was a symbol of strength and devotion in the city of Atlanta.  After this year, that symbol will change forever.

Chipper came to this city in 1993, when I was still sipping on baby food and figuring out how to say simple words like Mom and Dad.  As his legacy grew, so did I, and I watched from the silvery glow of my television set as he strolled to home plate, Crazy Train blasting over the loud speakers around him, and clubbed balls out of the park, like Tiger Woods at the driving range

Chipper Jones came to the Braves in 1993, and created a legacy

The Braves were a hot ticket in the 90's, and Chipper and company were solely responsible for that.  They became the perennial power house in Atlanta.  You thought sports in this city, and you thought Braves.  Chipper was the leader.  He ushered in an era of winning, an era of tradition.  An era where people of all ages, young boys and girls, flocked to Turner Field by the masses, all wearing shirts with the number 10 on the back, blue and red caps with the bright letter "A" pulled over their heads.  He became the iconic symbol of a team that represented something that was more than itself, and he accepted his role with the kind of diligence and patience that not only makes for a good baseball player, but a good person.

Fans flocked to Turner Field in the hundreds to watch Chipper and company

This is the part of this post where all the snide jabber comes to an abrupt end.  This is the part of this post where the meaningless stats get thrown out the window.  This is the part of this post that commends a man using the only means necessary.  Respect.

Chipper Jones was integrated with my childhood.  He was the one constant thing I had known since I was a young child.  When I would attend games, my heart would pound when number 10 stepped up to the plate, because I knew something great was about to happen.  Even when he struck out, or hit a pop fly, the crowd still cheered with an exuberant vigor, because they knew he would be there again, and next time, he wouldn't let them down.  He never had.

Chipper Jones has 454 home runs, but he meant more to the Braves than just a slugger

With Chipper's retirement, I feel like my childhood just died.  It wasn't when I graduated high school, it wasn't when I got accepted to college and it wasn't when I got my first job.  It was when I realized the hero of my youth would step away from the game he so loved, and the game I so loved watching him in.  I know my pain resonates with Braves and baseball fans everywhere.  I don't know if he will get elected to the hall of fame or not, although I'm sure he will.  What I do know, is that he will always be in my hall of fame.  He will exist in my heart, a heart that still beats with the energy of young boy who stood and cheered whenever he crushed a ball into the 755 Club.  He will exist there because he so rightly deserves it. 

Not bad for a chip off the old block.

Data growth and new technology are lowering the spectrum.

You are out at the mall with your friends.  After hours of shopping and walking around, you guys stop at the food court to grab a seat and sip on a cold drink.  Your friend mentions a video he saw on the internet, some video of a father shooting his daughter's laptop computer with his Colt .45 pistol.  Your friends haven't seen the video, and you decide to pull out your wicked awesome smart phone to show it to them.  Your phone can't load the video.  Something is wrong.

It's called Spectrum Crunch.

What exactly is Spectrum Crunch?  Described in an article written in the tech section of CNN Money, the Spectrum Crunch is the lack of airwaves necessary to provide voice, text and Internet services to U.S. mobile phones. 

It blew my mind when I read that the invisible infrastructure over which all wireless transmissions travel, is a finite source.  You always imagine that wireless technology has unlimited capabilities, but that is not how it works.  We as Americans are taking up the necessary space required to have our mobile phones access their data plans.  How exactly are we doing this?

By looking up videos of ridiculous laptop shootings at the mall, Americans are increasing their network traffic.  New technology has contributed to this.  The iPhone uses 24 times as much spectrum as a standard cell phone, and the iPad uses 122 times as much, according to the Federal FCC.  The overload of data will have a negative effect on the economy as well as the wireless infrastructure.  Companies will have to up their prices when the demand for wireless networks becomes limited.

The wireless data growth leads to spectrum deficit

 

 

As far as taking care of the spectrum problem, I'm not sure there is much that can be done.  We could use less data, but let's be realistic, Americans love to surf the web, check email, and watch videos.  The data use won't come down, and we might have to reap the results.

Make Blackmon a Ram, or else.

The St. Louis Rams finished 2-14 this season.  This record left Rams fans all over the country watching tape of Kurt Warner, tears streaming from their eyes, remembering the days when the Rams were Super Bowl contenders.  Fans of the team out of St. Louis could have another reason to cry in just a few months, and no, it's not because of the disappearance of Sam Bradford's throwing arm.  The Rams however, could be making a decision that would hinder Bradford's ability to reestablish himself as an elite quarterback.

Rams QB Sam Bradford had a tough 2011-2012 season

NFL insider Adam Schefter (a man who continually seems to pull information from any NFL team without wearing a costume that conceals his secret identity) reported that the Ram's are looking to trade their second overall pick, and possibly gather more picks in the first round.  That makes about as much sense as Snooki and her baby making the Hip Hop Headlines.  Let me explain to you why this is a bad idea.

The Rams were awful this season.  They couldn't pass.  They couldn't block.  They couldn't play defense.  To sum up the last four sentences, they sucked.  Bad.  Firstly, I feel the players didn't fit the system.  Josh McDaniel's offense has been about as successful as the year that Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson performed the Super Bowl Halftime Show.  His offense didn't work in Denver, and it certainly hasn't worked in St. Louis.  He doesn't have the pieces.  McDaniel's offense requires a deep threat, like a Randy Moss or a Mike Wallace.  The closest he has is Brandon Lloyd, who after two years in McDaniel's offense, has about as many touchdown's as Darrelle Revis, and he plays defense.  Believe me, I know.  I had Lloyd on my fantasy team this year.

The Ram's don't have the receivers they need to execute a prolific offense, and give their quarterback, Bradford, a shot at throwing down field.  With the second pick, they could solve this problem.

Enter Justin Blackmon.  Never heard of him?  He's a receiver out of Oklahoma State, and he's a freak.  He's the top receiver in this year's draft class, and he could be everything the Rams are looking for.  Blackmon finished the 2011 regular season with 121 catches for 1,522 yards and 18 touchdowns. He led the Big 12 in receiving and ranked second nationally in both receptions per game and total receptions.  In the Fiesta Bowl, he made the Stanford defense look like a high school junior varsity team.  He caught 8 passes for 186 yards and 3 touchdowns in the game.  Read that sentence again.  He caught 8 passes for 186 yards and 3 touchdowns in the game.  That's ridiculous.  That's 62 yards and a touchdown every three catches!    

Justin Blackmon was a nightmare for Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl

I get it.  The Rams think that if they trade for more picks, they will be able to build their defense and their offensive line.  It's a good idea.  They need as much help in those areas as they can get.  However, they think that if they trade the second pick to the Browns for their fourth pick, or the Redskins for their sixth pick, they can still nab Blackmon.  That's not going to happen.

The Minnesota Vikings have the third overall pick in this year's draft.  They have a young and talented quarterback in Christian Ponder.  They have arguably the best running back in the game in Adrian Peterson.  They have a young and talented defense led by stud lineman, Jared Allen.  A receiver will make them complete, and you can bet your life savings that if they get a shot at grabbing Justin Blackmon, they will jump on him like Lindsey Lohan and cocaine.

Blackmon is going to make an NFL team extremely happy.  Whether it is the Rams or not, passing up on a sure fire opportunity to grab him would be a huge mistake.  It's the kind of mistake teams make like trading Babe Ruth or releasing Jeremy Lin, and I have a bad feeling that history is repeating itself.

"I'm taking my talents to Charlotte."

Some teams in the NBA are a blast to watch.  Some have you staring blankly at your television set, desperately holding your bladder in fear of missing the best play of the year.  Some have that superstar, that go to guy that everyone wants to watch, whether he makes the game winning shot or misses the big bucket.  Some, just plain old stink.  <--- That dunk basically describes the Bobcat's season.  It has been a dismal year for the team out of Charlotte, who yield the league's worst record at 4 - 27.  Should the lottery be kind to them before this coming draft , and let's assume it will, they could be set on draft day to complete the dreams of a young college basketball player.  A player who's dream it has long been since he could say the word basketball to be the number one overall pick in the NBA Draft.  The question is, who should the Bobcats, or any team that lands that first pick, take?  To answer that question, we go to five of the best college basketball players from this year, who all have a viable option at being the game changer the Bobcats need.


College basketball player: "You want me to play at Charlotte?"

David Stern: "Absolutely."

College basketball player: "Now I understand why LeBron took his talents to South Beach."


5. Austin Rivers - Point guard, Duke University

Point guard Austin Rivers has made an immediate impact on the Duke roster

Personally, I've been a fan of him ever since he donned his father's Atlanta Hawk jersey at the McDonald's All-American Dunk Contest last year.  Rivers is just a freshman.  He was the most highly touted freshman out of high school, playing ball at Winter Park High School in Florida, leading them to back-to-back state championships.  If his name sounds familiar, it's because his Dad is Doc Rivers, the coach of the Boston Celtics.  This kid has instantly made an impact on the Duke roster.  He is one of those players that Coach K stumbles upon that makes a sweet crossover past an opposing senior player, and leaves the crowd chanting "He's a freshman!"  Much like Duke players of the past, such as J.J. Reddick and Kyrie Irving, Austin Rivers has jumped right into his role as the team leader, and has already created quite a highlight reel for himself at Duke.  Did you see his game winner against UNC?  Check it out.  You can't teach that kind of confidence.  While Rivers is just a freshman, and freshman players at Duke are not normally known for leaving school for the NBA early, Irving walked away last year and is now playing well for the Cleveland Cavaliers and could win Rookie of the Year honors.  This has to be tempting for Rivers, who could decide to make the same decision when it comes time to declare for the draft.  Wouldn't it be sweet if he went to the Celtics!


4. Bradley Beal - Shooting guard, University of Florida

Freshman Bradley Beal has led all Gator players in minutes this season

While a shooting guard isn't exactly a position the Bobcat's need the most help at (let's remember they need the most help at just about every aspect of their game), the notion that they could get an opportunity to nab Florida freshman Bradley Beal might sway their decision.  Beal played at Chaminade College Prepatory School in St. Louis.  In his senior year, he was recognized as the top player in the state of Missouri and was named the 2011 Gatorade National Player of the Year.  He averaged 32.5 points per game, 5.7 rebounds per game and 2.8 assists per game, which to anyone who has ever attempted at playing the game of basketball knows those statistics are just ridiculous.  Since coming to the University of Florida, Beal has played more minutes than any other player on the team's roster, even more than star player Kenny Boynton.  Beal has averaged 14.5 points a game at Florida, and has been named the Southeastern Conference's Freshman of the Week six times this season.  The only reason I have Beal ranked higher than Rivers in this list is because there is a real shot at Beal leaving early.  Current NBA players that have hailed from the University of Florida, such as Al Horford, Joakim Noah, and Corey Brewer, have all seen great success playing professional ball.  Their success could be enough to draw Beal away from college. 


3. Thomas Robinson - Forward, University of Kansas

Forward Thomas Robinson is a favorite to be the top pick in this years draft

Thomas Robinson is one of the premiere prospects for the NBA Draft this year.  Only a sophomore at Kansas, Robinson is averaging a double-double, with 17.7 points per game, and 11.8 rebound per game.  Many feel he could enter the NBA and have an immediate impact with any team who decides to take him.  He is at the top of the running for national player of the year, a guaranteed future All-American, and has helped lead his Jayhawks to a 22 - 5 record and the 5th overall ranking in college basketball.  Robinson's story is as tragic as it is remarkable.  During his freshman season, in the span of four weeks, Robinson lost his grandmother, his grandfather, and his mother.  Any normal person would have broken down, any normal person would have given up, and any normal person would never have returned to the basketball court and done the things that Robinson is doing, that would surely make his family proud.  This kid is special, his coach said it himself.  "He really believes that, when he steps on the court, if he plays well he can be the best guy on the floor, regardless of the situation," said Kansas Head Coach Bill Self. "I'm not sure a guy who played 14 minutes a game last year should feel that way entering a season, but somehow or other, he did."  If you want to read more on Robinson's amazing story just check out the article here.  I highly advise that you do.  We could be talking about this kid for a long time.


2. Jared Sullinger - Power forward, Ohio State University

Jared Sullinger decided to return to Ohio State after a successful freshman season

Many thought last year that Jared Sullinger would leave Ohio State and head for the NBA.  He was the unprecedented best player in college basketball and many believed if he had declared he would have easily gone first overall in the draft.  However, Sullinger shocked the basketball world when he announced he would return to Ohio State for his sophomore season.  Sullinger wanted to bring a championship to Ohio State.  He failed when his team lost to Kentucky in the tournament.  Rather then opting out, Sullinger said he would not leave Ohio State until he had helped them bring home the gold.  That is a tremendous demonstration of character.  This kid is doing whatever it takes to win and you can see the competitive drive he has.  Any team in the NBA would kill to have a player of that caliber on their team.  Sullinger has averaged 17.2 points per game and 9 rebounds per game this season.  He has continued to play at the level he did during his freshman season.  If Ohio State makes a run in the tournament this year and finds a way to win it all, you can expect Jared Sullinger to declare for the NBA Draft.  The Charlotte Bobcats would be more than overjoyed to have a player who is willing to sacrifice so much to win.

1. Anthony Davis - Power forward, University of Kentucky

Anthony Davis is the most complete player in college basketball

The Kentucky Wildcats are 26 -1 and sport the best record in college basketball.  When you sport the best record, you most likely sport the best player.  Anthony Davis is everything you could want in a basketball player.  He is fast and strong.  He plays defense as well as anybody in the country.  He can score from the perimeter, in the paint, and basically anywhere on the court.  The Charlotte Bobcats would get a fine pick if Davis decides to declare for the NBA Draft.  The odds are pretty good that he will.  Davis plays for John Calipari, the longtime coach of the University of Memphis, who is now the head coach at the University of Kentucky.  Calipari has a history of recruiting players who are considered "one and done."  This means that the player plays one year for him, and then runs off to go play ball with the professionals.  Remember Derrick Rose?  Same deal.  He was the first overall pick by the Chicago Bulls and has now made them one of the most fearsome teams in the league, as well as taking home last year's MVP honors.  Davis will more than likely have a similar story.  If he declares, I wouldn't be surprised at all if the Bobcats decide to take him with the first overall pick.  I don't think they could wrong with him in their lineup. 

From Superman, to the KIA Optima, to Twitter, the NBA Dunk Contest has come a long way

Once upon a time, Spud Webb was dunking balls as if he had lowered the rim on the net that sat outside on his drive way.  The only difference was this net was still 10 feet tall, and instead of sitting on his driveway, it sat in the home of the NBA Dunk Contest.  Spud Webb was merely 5'7, and in the world of basketball, they call that dwarfism.  His size never kept him from achieving greatness however, and the one time Atlanta Hawk surprised the media and the world when he won the 1986 Slam Dunk Contest, beating out his fellow teammate Dominique Wilkins. 

At 5'7, Spud Webb could still dunk with the best of them.

What Webb did back then was breath taking.  It was exhilarating.  It drew "Oh's" and "Ah's" from the crowd like Siegfried and Roy when they flew a white tiger across the room.  Today, the Dunk Contest is even more entertaining.  Today, you have Dwight Howard donning a Superman uniform and force feeding the rim the ball.  Today, you have Blake Griffin leaping over the hood of a KIA Optima, catching an alley-oop pass from fellow teammate Baron Davis while a gospel choir sings "I Believe I Can Fly" by R Kelly.   And today, you, the fan, can pick the Dunk Contest winner from the sanctuary of your own home, by simply using a Twitter account.

In article published on ESPN, writers Marc Stein and Tim MacMahon discussed the layout of this years Dunk Contest along with the 24 hour news coverage that has been called "Lin-sanity",  due to the tremendous amount of media presence surrounding heralded New York Knicks point-guard Jeremy Lin.  While the story on Lin is a great one, we will save that for another day.  The part of the article that was so interesting, was how the winner of the Dunk Contest will be selected this year.

Point-guard Jeremy Lin has become a media sensation in helping the Kicks reach a 7-game win streak.

In the past, the Dunk Contest winner was appointed by the judges, who gave each dunk a score of 1 to 10 based on how well the dunk made their eyes pop from their sockets.  This year however, the fans will be able to vote for their favorite dunk contest winner via the social networking site, Twitter.  While Blake Griffin will not be returning to defend his crown, the crowd at the game as well as those crowded around their television sets, will be able to decide who takes the crown by tweeting their favorite dunker, voting online, or sending a text message.  Many people are concerned that the ability to vote for the Dunk Contest winner will affect the outcome.   You have to think though, when have the fans ever disagreed with the judges ruling?  Never.  Bring on the new champion.