So now you’ve taken your first few picks (after reading the previous rules #1 and #2) and you’re feeling pretty confident. But you realize you don’t know what to do now that you are in the middle of the draft. You see that Yahoo! has the unstoppable New York Jets Defense and Special Teams Unit ranked as the next best pick. Should you choose a D/ST in the 6^th round? Or should you pad your bench? But the bench doesn’t contribute. There’s only 10 seconds left! What do you do? Breathe. Relax. Take a sip of Matty Ice. Don’t worry. I’m here for you.

Rule #3: Wait on drafting a Defense/Special Teams (D/ST). This is probably one of the biggest mistakes most fantasy managers make. D/ST don’t need to be drafted until the last few rounds. Personally, I tend to wait until the last two rounds to take my kicker and D/ST (more on the kicker in upcoming Rule #5). The New York Jets Defense/Special Teams is pretty much the consensus number one pick among D/ST even though arguably the best cornerback in the league, Darrelle Revis, who is so vital to the Jets’ shutdown defense, is holding out with no end in sight. Regardless of the Revis holdout, the Jets D/ST is being picked in Yahoo! leagues with the 56.4 selection, on average, roughly in the middle of the 6^th round of an 8-10 team league. The Jets pick sounds fine and dandy until I tell you that, according to ESPN Fantasy Football expert Chris Harris, “Of the five pre-draft consensus No. 1 fantasy defenses in the past five seasons, exactly one finished among the top 10 defenses by season’s end.” Only one has finished among the top 10!

That one team would the 2006 Chicago Bears, which finished 2^nd in ESPN leagues. The Bears had dominated on defense the year before, but were immensely helped in 2006 by the 3 punt return TDs, and 2 kickoff return TDs, of Devin Hester. These 5 TDs added an additional 50 fantasy points (standard leagues award 10 points per special teams TD), or FP. Special Teams TDs are very difficult to predict, especially when the returner is a rookie (like Hester was). Do you know how many return TDs Hester has had in the past two seasons?  None. This isn’t entirely surprising as teams have been kicking away from Hester for the past two seasons. But why didn’t they do that in his second season, when he racked up an additional 6 return TDs?

Will Revis return? And can the Jets deliver with or without him?

Now, if are in your standard ten team league, you could be wasting a sixth round pick on the worst starting defense and special teams unit in the fantasy league! If you are taking a D/ST in the 6^th or7^th round, assuming that the league plays with two RBs, two WRs, and 1 Flex, you have not yet finished filling your starting skill position slots before drafting a D/ST! This is absurd. Last season, according to ESPN, the difference between the best D/ST unit, the San Francisco 49ers, and the last starting unit (which would be the tenth best starting unit), the Minnesota Vikings, was a measly 41 points (167 to 126). The 16^th best, or the middle of the pack, D/ST, claimed 111 FP, a difference of 66 points. This may sound like a lot of points, but the difference between the best running back, Chris Johnson, and the 20th running back, or the last starter, if everyone were to only draft running backs, was 186 FP, more than quadruple that of the point differential of the best and worst starting D/ST. While the difference for the other positions is smaller, it is still much greater than that of the D/ST. I will elaborate on this idea in a coming piece.

In the worst case, you will have to go to the free agency pool and stream defenses against terrible offenses. There are always very bad offenses that don’t score points and turn the ball over a lot. Last year’s four teams that scored fewer than 16.0 points per game were the Tampa Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns (15.3),  Oakland Raiders (12.3), and St. Louis Rams (10.9). In the past ten seasons, only twice have there been only two teams that scored under 16 points per game. So this seems like a trend that will continue. With this stat in mind, there are roughly ten to fifteen teams that can be picked up from free agency in a given week that will perform average-to-great in a given week  Drafting a defense and special teams unit in the mid-level rounds is just crazy.

Still not convinced? Let’s take a look at some of the players being drafted with later picks: From a quick glance at a list of the top 200 players’ average draft position (ADP), I saw 7 RBs including Lions RB Jahvid Best (a “stud” rookie taking over the starting role from, successful fantasy sleeper, Kevin Smith. Last season, Smith scored 131 FP in only 13.5 games), LeSean McCoy (a younger version of Brian Westbrook, in the same west-coast offense. Westbrook used to average among the top-ten RBs in), and Ronnie Brown (118 FP in only 9 games and one of the leagues most dominant RBs when healthy); 9 WRs, two of which are guys I am very, very high on: Donald Driver (135 FP last season) and Wes Welker (155 FP last season); 6 TEs including one of the most consistent ends in the past decade in Tony Gonzalez; and 7 QBs I wouldn’t mind taking with a late pick, my favorites being Matt Ryan (217 FP in 13 games. A healthy season should see his numbers back up around 265)  and Joe Flacco (240 FP last season and 2 great receiving corps additions in Anquan Boldin and the just injured Donte’ Stallworth to increase Flacco’s production). This comes to a total of 29 players! And that was from just a quick glance. There are so many more players I would rather take a flier on than a D/ST.

The problem with these defenses is the high-risk and low-reward of using a top-10 round pick. ESPN Fantasy Football’s Christopher Harris’ analysis of last year’s D/ST draft results indicates the difficulty in predicting even a top-ten D/ST unit. Four of the top ten D/ST from last season’s ESPN leagues were either drafted outside of the top ten, or not drafted at all. So the chance of snagging a starting unit after everyone else has theirs is almost 50%!

Clearly, from my list, there is a plethora of talented players, who are more likely to succeed but would be passed up if a D/ST is taken so high. As tempting as Patrick Willis makes the 49ers defense look, give your team a chance. Pass on the defense and draft a player with plenty of upside that could separate your team from the next.

Contact: If you have a fantasy football question, comment, insult, or compliment for Dr. Z, send it to Nightcapkspc@gmail.com or call in to The Nightcap on KSPC Mondays 8-10 PM at (909) 626-KSPC. No inquiry is too big or small. It might even be featured in Dr. Z’s next column! Please include your first name and from which city you are writing.

Editor’s Note: This sports column is a regular feature from “The Nightcap” crew, a group of 5Cers who air a weekly radio sports talk show on KSPC. You can listen in online at KSPCstream.com or KSPC.org (click “Hear us Online via Live365”) every Monday from 8-10 PM. Want to join the radio show this year? We are looking for new people! Email us at nightcapKSPC@gmail.com!

Wrong. These myths have probably deterred you from grabbing a mat and heading to one of Claremont’s many yoga classes. Plenty of CMC’s fine young men, however, can attest to yoga’s overwhelmingly positive effects. “The complete feeling of relaxation and calm after I finish a class is pretty awesome,” says Solon Christensen-Szalanski CM ’10. “Yoga also really helps with coordination and fine muscle control.” Professional athletes– LeBron James, Andy Murray, Shaq– swear by the addition of yoga into their workout routines.

Mentally, this activity will soothe your stressin’ psyche and help you focus for finals.  Physically, you will not only become more flexible, but also will get toned, improve overall strength, and increase your stamina. “I like the feeling of balance,” Brian Hoffstein CM ’12 explains. “In combining strength and flexibility with meditation, yoga synthesizes exercise with relaxation.”

Finally, the social benefits of yoga are superb…especially if you’re looking for a lady. Solon was led to yoga by an ex-crush who dragged him to classes.  ”Things didn’t work out with the girl, but I’ve done yoga consistently ever since,” the senior yogi claims. Plus, the famed yoga butt is one of this activity’s true stereotypes…need I say more? Gentlemen, take a deep, cleansing breath (in for a count of 8, hold, out for a count of 8…) and resolve to get your Om on sometime in the near future. You’ll never regret your decision.

The 5Cs offer a multitude of yoga classes that students can take for Physical Education credit next semester. Any of these classes can meet your GE requirement, or just join in for kicks. If terms like “downward dog” or “breath of fire” just sound like crazy talk, the Portal’s listings may baffle you. For easy enrollment, here are next fall’s offerings.

Hatha Yoga, the most popular method in the US, is the granddaddy of most yoga styles. Perfect for a beginner seeking a taste of what the activity has to offer, a Hatha class typically incorporates Asanas (postures), Pranayama (conscious breathing), and meditation– great for stress management and physical exercise. Pomona and Scripps will hold Hatha classes regularly next fall, some even taught by 5C students and professors like CMC’s own Lit lady Audrey Bilger.

Anusara Yoga is another style taught at the 5Cs. From this Pomona class, you should expect a heightened Hatha experience: Anusara uses principles of alignment to open the body and the mind to discover one’s true self by being more accepting of new ideas. For budding yogis seeking the most positive, joyful yoga practice, Anusara is the style to choose. Practitioners are encouraged to embrace ideals of creativity and freedom, making an Anusara class an ever-changing, light-hearted experience. You’ll leave this class beaming.

For a more invigorating type of yoga, CMCers should try one of Scripps’s Power Yoga classes. Power yoga emphasizes the development of physical flexibility and personal discipline–this isn’t your mama’s yoga class. Poses are held for extended periods of time while the breath is synchronized with the body, creating a trance-like movement.  Mental and physical stamina will improve dramatically through Power Yoga, and you’ll definitely break a serious sweat. You’ve been warned: Power Yoga is going to kick your booty the first couple classes.

Kundalini Yoga focuses on awakening the storehouse of energy that yogis believe exists at the base of the spine. Skeptical? Drop in on a class at Pomona’s Rains Center to give this style a test run. Kundalini requires yogis to chant mantras, meditate, and engage in visualizations during class. For some, this type of yoga is incredibly cleansing and psychologically beneficial; powerful endorphins are released through breath control and basic poses.  For others, however, Kundalini Yoga is borderline awkward: try the Breath of Fire yourself to see if Kundalini is the practice for you.

If it’s the most endurance-testing yoga experience you seek, Bikram (or “Hot Yoga”) may be the practice for you. Bikram Yoga classes are offered daily in the Village for a discounted price if you enroll for Phys. Ed. on the Portal. The rigorous classes take place in a room heated to anywhere between 95 and 100 degrees with 40 percent humidity. High temperatures allow for maximum muscle loosening and intense sweating, a process thought to purify the body of toxins and improve circulation.  Feeling beat after a weekend of partying? A single Bikram class will cleanse and revive your system. A series of 26 poses, each held for a long duration, will increase strength and stamina. Despite the buckets of sweat you’ll be drenched in, Bikram is notoriously addictive. Just remember: hydrate.

CMC’s administration seems to have realized the benefits of yoga. A recent email from Jim Nauls regarding the Yogathon on May 7 at the Tranquada Health Center is tagged as a way to relieve stress before finals. RSVP for the event to heo@cuc.claremont.edu.

A yoga revolution is definitely sweeping campus…and not just among the female student body. “The biggest myth about yoga is that it’s for pansies,” Hoffstein claims. “Real men are the true yogis.” Whoever says the Stags can’t dominate on the yoga mat has clearly not been enlightened. See you in the studio, CMC!

April turns into May and before we know it, May will turn into June, and teams all around baseball will begin talking about “selling” and “buying” at the July 31st trade deadline. Everyone is a buyer in April. Everyone has hope.

No one gave the Astros, the Royals, the Orioles, or the Pirates much of a chance, but after the first calendar month of the Major League Baseball season nearly every team has found its flaws. Even The Yankees have concerns: off to a great start with their early Cy Young candidate, they still sit behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East and have serious issues.

This week I am looking at the problems around baseball. What are they? How should they be fixed?

Below are my diagnoses and prescriptions for the aliments around the league (with some help from my baseball fan friends across the 5cs). Sorry for the AL bias. Post your own suggestions for your own team or any team below in the comments section!

The New York Yankees (2nd in the AL East, 17-8, 1 GB):

I put the Yanks on here for two reasons: 1) Javier Vazquez is a mess and 2) Center fielder Curtis Granderson just hit the shelf, out for 2-6 weeks with a groin injury. After posting a 15-10 record and 2.87 ERA over 219.1 innings last year with a mediocre Braves squad in ’09, Vazquez has fallen apart in his second stint with the Yankees with a 1-3 record, a 9.78 ERA and 15 walks in just 23 innings in ’10. He hasn’t gotten out of the sixth inning once, his start this week will be skipped, and he could ultimately be demoted to the highest-paid-long-reliever-in-baseball position (he’s making $11.5 mil this year). The Yankees gave up Melky Cabrera to get Vazquez, which seemed like a steal at the time, but watching Randy Winn (.077 AVG/.077 OBP/.077 SLG in 13 AB) and lefty-mashing yet streaky Marcus Thames (.550/.625/.850 in 20 AB) fill in for Granderson is going to make some fans wish General Manager Brain Cashman could take it back.

My Big Apple Cure: 1) Let the virus run its course, stick with Vazquez and 2) put on a pretty Band-Aid ®, call-up Chad Huffman.

2009 was likely a career year, but Vazquez won’t continue this forever. At least let him try to work out the kinks for a month longer; an average Vazquez is likely better than a stellar versions of the internal options in long relievers Sergio Mitre and former “ace” Chan Ho Park, and they certainly aren’t long term options.

This is the perfect time for Huffman; we know what Thames and Winn are (pretty mediocre). Keep an eye out on Chad Huffman, recently claimed after the Padres DFA’d him, Huffman is currently with the Yankees AAA affiliate in Scranton. He is struggling a bit out of the gates, but the Padres’ 2006 second-round pick and 2009 AAA Home Run Derby champion hit 20 homers in ’09 in 135 games at AAA last season. Thames and Winn will be key pieces for the rest of 2010, but this is the perfect audition for a young guy with a high ceiling who can get some at bats without immense pressure on him–he comes up with the understanding that he will be back in Scranton when Granderson returns.

The Boston Red Sox (4th in the AL East, 12-14, 6.5 GB):

Everyone doubted The Nation’s ability to score runs in 2010, but the pitching has really been the problem. The Red Sox have given up 134 runs, worst in the AL and 5th worst in all of baseball. Jason Varitek of all people leads the team in slugging (.824) and OPS (1.202) and isn’t even an every day player. The Red Sox can’t run (9 steals / 4 times caught stealing); only Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury have more than one steal (each with two), and Ellsbury is on the DL. The Red Sox can’t stop the run. Victor Martinez has been atrocious behind the plate, catching just 5 of 32 base stealers, but Varitek has lost a step behind the plate as well, catching only 2 of 13. The Red Sox are scoring runs, but David Ortiz (.159/.254/.381) and Martinez (.233/.298/.314) are troubling as well.

My Sweet Caroline: 1) bring back some traditional medicine, make Varitek the primary catcher, 2) put everything on high heat, make Daniel Bard the closer, and then 3) try the exotic fix, trade for Adrian Gonzalez.

Varitek is older but stroking it at the plate right now and has been historically a much better catcher for pitchers than the defensively paltry Victor Martinez. V-Mart would become the everyday DH and catch once a week (or so) with whomever he has the best repport with.

Daniel Bard is the answer in the pen. Jonathan Papelbon has two losses already, and while Bard hasn’t been perfect, he throws 99 mph and has struck out 20 in 15 innings, and Papelbon has been luckier than good with a mediocre 1.38 WHIP, walking 9 batters already in just his 13 innings of work.

Papelbon and/or Ortiz and/or Lowell could be moved, along with some minor league pieces and maybe Clay Buchholz, if the Sox can get creative in a three-team trade with the Rangers, Rays, or A’s who could all use bullpen help and a veteran right-handed bat and have the farm system to provide the needed prospects to pry Adrián González away from the Padres–this is all, of course, contingent upon the Padres, who currently sit at first in the NL West, selling come July 31st.

The Seattle Mariners (4th in AL West, 11-14, 2.5 GB):

The Mariners can’t hit. This is nothing new. In 2009, they slugged only .402 as a team (13th out of 14 in the AL) and their 640 runs scored was the worst in the AL and ahead of only two national league teams, the Pirates and the Padres. Yet their biggest offseason move was to bring in a starting pitcher, Cliff Lee. They parted ways with their best power prospect and replaced Adrián Béltre and the team homerun leader Russel Branyan with a high OBP player in Chone Figgins and the singles hitting first baseman Casey Kotchman respectively.

How to End the Sleeplessness in Seattle: 1) starting hitting the juice, cut Griffey and sign Barry Bonds, or 2) start a bidding war for the 2010 cure-all, trade for Adrian Gonzalez.

Griffey is a great player, a great teammate, and beloved by Seattle, but the team with the worst DH play in the AL the last two years has got to make a change to contend and could do no better than signing the best player of our generation, Barry Bonds.  The Mariners DH combination of Griffey, Eric Byrnes, and Mike Sweeney aren’t even slugging a mere .200, why not bring a guy in who slugged over .600 for his career and and who didn’t have a SLG% under .500 after 1989. Gonzalez is more realistic and could move Kotchman to DH.

Quick Fixes

The Texas Rangers (1st in the AL West, 14-12, — GB):

The Rangers have led in all but two games this year and were tied 6-6 in one of those two games, yet they stand at just 13-12.

My Lone Star Solution: don’t over medicate, stop sacrifice bunting.

Manager Ron Washington has no problem with bunting early in games and in late innings with a lead–sure fire ways to kill big innings from your offense–even though his team doesn’t put the ball in play (13th in the AL with 192 strikeouts). Ranger hitters see the third lowest amount of pitches per plate appearence (3.76) in the AL, and Wash is choosing to bunt most often with one of his best and most patient hitters right now, Elvis Andrus, who is seeing more pitches per appearance than anyone on the team (4.13) other than the injured Nelson Cruz (4.26), the recently activated Ian Kinsler (4.33), and the Rookie Justin Smoak (4.46)–none of whom have played near as many games as Elvis.

The Chicago Cubs (2nd in the NL Central, 13-13, 5 GB):

The biggest problem with the Cubs is that they are too good.

My Cubbie Concoction: stop treating the symptoms, get rid of the aging parts while they still have value.

At 13-13 and second place in the division, most people would suggest they contend, but this is where the Cubs seem to be every year–if not, usually in better shape, and they always fall flat in the playoffs. Derek Lee and Ted Lilly are free agents this winter and Aramis Ramirez and John Grabow will be free to walk in November of 2011; Ramirez and Lee could garner huge prospects, especially if they deal Ramirez this July as he will have 15 months with the acquiring team.  This team is not going to win championships; new prospects could join a resurgent farm system for the Cubs which has 5 players in Baseball America’s top 100 prospects, and ranks as high as fifth in respected circles for best farm system. Build around catcher Geovnny Soto, outfielders Marlon Byrd, Kosuke Fukudome and Tyler Colvin and future stars in shortstop Sarlin Castro, third baseman Josh Vitters, and a boat load of high-ceiling arms are on their way in.

The Los Angeles Angels (of Anaheim) (3rd in the AL west, 12-15, 2.5 GB):

I don’t know where this team is. Anaheim isn’t in Los Angeles…I can never find the stadium.

How to Get Angels Back in the Outfield: it couldn’t even happen in the movies, Anaheim is in Orange Country, Scrap the “Los Angeles” part…

there is only one team in LA, which brings us to…

finally,

The Los Angeles Dodgers (4th in the NL West, 11-14, 5 GB):

Rotation is a disaster and Owner Frank McCourt can’t increase payroll while in a divorce battle.

My Miracle for Mannywood: say your goodbyes, rebuild.

The most ready starting pitching prospect, Scott Elbert, who has pitched 26 innings with the big club over the last two years, is struggling in ’10 in AAA Albuquerque–strikeout totals (22) are good, but 14 free passes in 18 innings is not going to get you back to the majors. Vicente Padilla is hurt and isn’t good anyway, and Charlie Haegar and John Ely are not going to get anyone to the playoffs. Time to let go of Manny, Casey Blake, Rafael Furcal, and Russell Martin.

The Doctor is out — give us your second opinion!

Editor’s Note: This sports column is a regular feature from “The Nightcap” crew,  made up of Ari Zyskind, Nathan Barnett, Dan Campbell, and Kevin Shuai, a group of 5Cers who air a weekly radio sports talk show on KSPC. You can listen in online at KSPCstream.com or KSPC.org (click “Hear us Online via Live365”) every Monday from 8-10 PM. Want to join the radio show next year? We are looking for new people! Email us at nightcapKSPC@gmail.com!

“The Six”

1. What are the top 5 most played songs on your iTunes?

1. Amazing, Josh Kelley
2. Your Love Is My Drug, Ke$ha
3. Secret Smile, Rascal Flatts
4. Make It Up to You, Steve Means
5. The Man Who Can’t Be Moved, The Script

2. What is your quirkiest quality?

Steamed carrots are my favorite food, hands down, no questions asked. I just love them. And balloons have an unbelievably strong power to make me happy the minute I see them no matter what mood I am in. That was two. Sorry.

3. What do you consider your greatest achievement (outside of your athletic career)?

Surviving a summer in Thailand full of jungle treks, crazy food, and very limited Thai language skills.

4. What is something that you learned from your family?

Every situation can be turned into a positive, you just have to learn how to adjust your mind set.

5. If you could be a character from any book, movie, or TV show, who would you be?

Ron Weasley from Harry Potter

6. What is your favorite unknown tidbit about CMC?

Oh gosh. There are so many. Probably that Alex Mitchell and Kacey Klein make bomb corn dogs. And that Career Services always has yummy holiday candy on the front desk. Sorry, that’s two again. Did I ever say making decisions was a strong point of mine?

Annie and her teammates celebrate their victories at the 2010 NCAA National Championships. (L to R) Emma Jones '12, Annie, Elsa Cheng '13 and Katie Bilotti '12.

First– the sunny city of Surprise, spring home of the Kansas City Royals Texas Rangers (full disclaimer: big time Ranger fan here) and the first of three games I would see over spring break. My friend and I arrived in the middle innings, having already missed Vlad Guerrero and Michael Young’s hacks for the day, and had to endure rough outings by non-roster pitchers Luis Mendoza and Pedro Strop. A 12-2 Rangers beating at the hands of the Cleveland Indians was well in-hand, but this little mental checklist helped.

• 75 degrees — CHECK
• Not a cloud in the sky — CHECK
• Ballpark dog in hand (well, not the dog itself, rather the bun with the dog in it) — CHECK
• Buddy next to me ready to talk about the insignificant players on the field and their fantasy baseball value — CHECK

(Speaking of which, want to join a free fantasy league with a chance to win a free t-shirt and your own 90-second rant on anything sports related on Claremont’s very own sports talk show, “The Nightcap”? Click here. League ID# 564908, Password: kspc OR email me @ nathansbarnett @ gmail.com)

How much can I complain? Things only improved when I saw Chris Perez, I mean Kenny Powers, warming up in the Indian Pen (Don’t believe me? Check the pictures below). Sure he was pitching for the “enemy,” but I was as excited to see him as any Ranger that day.

The Rangers would go 0-3 while I was in the desert, dropping from 6-8 to 6-11 and now sit at a Cactus League worst 6-14 with 9 games remaining. It’s important to remember that Kansas City finished fourth in the Cactus League last year though. KC 2009 regular season result? An American League worst 65-97.

Spring Training results don’t really matter–at least not the results that show up in the win and loss columns. Would I be saying the same thing if the Rangers were 14-6 instead of 6-14? Probably not, but it’s important to remember what really matters in March in Arizona (and Florida, where the other half of the teams play their preseason ball).

Rangers starting pitcher Colby Lewis warming up before his start Saturday against the Los Angeles Dodgers

For the average fan it’s a warm-up, both for the players and for themselves. Guys like Derek Jeter, Albert Pujols, and Ichiro– these guys are getting their timing back, getting ready for big league games, and remembering what it feels like out on the field after four months off. Players swing at pitches they wouldn’t swing at in the regular season because they are working on fundamentals. Guys like Josh Hamilton, who hits some of the longest home runs anyone has seen, bunt the ball. For the fans, a spring game can remind them of their favorite baseball superstitions: watching for the players not to touch the chalk of the foul lines, not to talk about a no hitter, etc. It is a time to remember you need to wear sunscreen at the park. It is even a good place to work on the heckling skills; I know the Padres’ fans I saw Sunday could use some practice after hearing cunning jeers like “Swing and miss, batter!”

But to the 25th man on the roster, the 5th starter, the 7th man in the bullpen, and all the guys below the Major League level, which numbers over 100 players, spring training is everything. As a fan, I cannot recommend more trying to soak in that feeling. It may be thrilling to see your favorite stars up at the plate when you haven’t seen them swing since October, but the real drama is in the routine grounders, the sacrifice bunts, the stolen bases, and the induced ground outs from guys most fans haven’t heard of. Outside of the local beat writers and die-hard fans like myself, most people won’t make a big deal out of a throwing error like the one Rangers utility candidate Matt Brown made and they wont fuss over the laced single Rule-5 draft pick Travis Snyder gave up to Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, nor will they gawk over the forty or so minor league pitchers I saw gathered together on the Rangers back fields, but these are the things that really matter in the spring. These are the things that decide whether a player finally gets his big league shot, if his time in “The Show” is over, and if the organization even has the desire to keep him around.

March is their October. It is their baseball lives. Their chance to survive, thrive, and impress. For 16-year-olds like Dominican Ranger prospects and million-dollar-signees Jurickson Profar and Jorge Alfaro, March is the time to soak up the knowledge of the players they idolize as much as the fans do. There is something uniquely beautiful about capturing this feeling of intensity in a sea of relaxed people who think nothing is on the line. All of this doesn’t make it any less cool to see known quantities like up-and-coming young Derek Holland warm up in the pen before trotting out to hill. But it does make losses like the three I saw that much easier to stomach.

Editor’s Note: This sports column is a regular feature from “The Nightcap” crew,  made up of Ari Zyskind, Nathan Barnett, Dan Campbell, and Kevin Shuai, a group of 5Cers who air a weekly radio sports talk show on KSPC. You can listen in online at KSPCstream.com or KSPC.org (click “Hear us Online via Live365”) every Monday from 8-10 PM.

With just twenty-five ticks left, on Zach Parise’s beautiful goal off of a rebound, US Hockey tied our neighbors to the north in the gold medal game for men’s hockey only to be outlasted by the Canadians in overtime . I think I am finally coming out of my gold-medal-game coma, but it is probably only because of a certain vandal. Sidney Crosby’s stick and gloves “went missing” after the celebration– something tells me an American pulled off this cunning heist. Nothing like stealing priceless memorabilia to avenge a loss. Even if it wasn’t a patriot who managed to steal the dreaded Canadian’s gear, the Olympics were not a complete loss for the American skaters.

No, I am not talking about the silver lining of the second place medal or even the moral victory of doing better than expected (Team USA was a long shot to medal at all). No. I am talking about how cool USA goaltender Ryan Miller looked in that mask of his. Featuring a tatted and ripped Uncle Sam and a menacing bald eagle, the words “Miller Time” (which, the IOC made him cover up because they claimed it was advertisement) and “Matt Man,” a tribute to Miller’s cousin Matt Schoals, who died from bone marrow transplant complications in 2007, Miller’s mask was easily the coolest of the Olympic masks, with honorable mention to Swiss goaltender Jonas Miller’s for looking like someone taped on some pictures printed on computer paper.

Miller, the goaltender for the Buffalo Sabres, is only one of many who seem to be expressing themselves in between the pipes these days. NHL goaltenders tend to have a little more style than their Olympic counterparts…or at least what they lack in style they make up for in…creativity? Most goalies have illustrations related to the team or town in which they play (perhaps this is contractual?), but some are more expressive. Avalanche goaltender and Slovakian Peter Budaj has a Slovakian version of The Simpsons character Ned Flanders on the backside of his mask. Marty Biron’s mask is an odd tribute to Canadian lumberjacks. Antero Nittymaki of the Philidelphia Flyers earned the nickname Frank from former coach Ken Hitchcock after the mobster Frank Nitti–his helmet: Frank Nitti shooting a tommy gun and smoking a cigar. Carolina Hurricane John Grahame displays his love for NASCAR and scantily clad women on his mask. And then there is Kari Lehtonen. One of his masks contains two cartoon characters with swords and a picture of Lil Jon on the back. Another one displays female characters from the video game Final Fantasy X. I mean, really?

Expression is hardly limited to hockey. College football players have recently been in an embroiled battle with NCAA over eye-black expression. Former USC running back and current New Orleans Saint, Reggie Bush, was the first well known eye-black artists. He used to put his area code, 619, in silver ink in his eye-black. Former Florida Gator quarterback, Tim Tebow, displayed biblical quotes under his eyes over the last four seasons.

The NFL, widely dubbed by players as the “No Fun League,” has managed to limit player expression. They have cracked down on post-play celebration and any sort of organized display of attention-grabbing not related to things going on the field of play.

This sort of expressive censorship is dangerous, however. Ryan Miller’s mask was nearly banned by the IOC. Apparently “Matt Man” was a major point of contention. The NFL would not grant an exception for Chad Ochocinco, who wished to wear the number of Chris Henry, a teammate who passed away this year. Major League Baseball has done a great job finding the right time and place for exceptions to uniform rules, allowing pink bats on Mother’s Day and entire teams to wear number 42 on Jackie Robinson Day.

I understand why the NFL does what they do. Most of the time, player expression is not about something important or worth protecting.  Enough is enough. Expression is one thing, but so many players in professional sports have made things about themselves. The team should be above the players, especially considering how much these players are role models for young people.

Editor’s Note: This sports column is a regular feature from “The Nightcap” crew,  made up of Ari Zyskind, Ned Schooler, Nathan Barnett, Dan Campbell, and Kevin Shuai, a group of 5Cers who air a weekly radio talk show on KSPC. You can listen in online at KSPC.org (click “Hear us Online via Live365”) every Monday from 8-10 PM.

But while I enjoy the Winter Olympics, they don’t promote as much diversity as the Summer Olympics. The fact is few countries have an opportunity to compete seriously or produce medal contenders. While the Summer Olympics present an opportunity for many countries to medal, only a fraction as many have a legitimate opportunity to medal at the winter games, and the top echelon of medalists come almost entirely from a tiny handful of countries. Granted, fewer medals are given at the winter games, but the fact remains that so far only 25 countries total have received any medals at all during the winter games compared to the 80 total countries which medaled at the Summer games in Beijing.

To be sure, few countries are geographically, socially, or economically able to support the extensive training regimens of winter athletes. But of those that are able to sustain and maintain such a program are glorified by the Winter Olympics. Although it’s supposed to be a great forum and gathering of the nations, only a few have the opportunity to compete seriously.

Take Women’s Ice Hockey. Scores during pool play were 12-1, 13-1, 13-0 and even a humiliating 18-1 defeat by Canada over Slovakia. The fact that Canada defeated, by such a large margin, a country that is actually supposed to be good at hockey is embarrassing to the sport and the games. While I will always support the American team (USA! USA!), I wish the possibility existed that they might someday have to compete with some country like Argentina.

And while this is unrealistic, it also serves to point out a potential flaw in how the Olympics are delivered. I think that there is too much emphasis on medal counts among countries. I am proud of the American athletes and thoroughly enjoy watching them out-perform such dreaded countries as the Communist Chinese, I wish there was more emphasis on the achievement of those who come from these almost insurmountable odds and succeed, instead of the amount of medals they might contribute.

After all, medals are achieved through hard work and personal achievement. But without the economic support, many individuals are not given the opportunity. Korea, as of Friday night sat in 7^th place, for total medals, with 14. Only one, a world record gold medal performance by figure skater Kim Yu-Na, was not a speed skating medal. Countries like Korea must focus their resources on a select few sports leaving countless individuals sidelined without ever being given the opportunity to compete.

Although I love the competition and patriotism of the Olympics, I feel that we should not be as consumed with medal counts as with the character and resolve of the athletes to achieve for their countries. We should support the Olympics as a forum where individuals from all countries can compete and engage in this great gathering of nations.

Editor’s Note: This sports column is a regular feature from “The Nightcap” crew,  made up of Ari Zyskind, Dan Campbell, Kavin Shuai, and Ned Schooler, a group of 5Cers who air a weekly radio talk show on KSPC. You can listen in online at KSPC.org (click “Hear us Online via Live365”) every Monday from 8-10 PM.

All-Star Games in any sport, be it NBA, MLB, NFL, or NHL, are exhibition games where the game’s greatest stars can gather for a collegial spectacle. Fans pay to see the best players in the league play at the highest level of play. And yet when players arrive at these games, they rarely match expectations. They play for the money or they play because their contract mandates it. Given this reputation, it’s small wonder so many players take the game off either overtly, through excuse, or covertly, through uninspired play. All-Star Games all too often are without the very stars they market.

Sports are meant to be compelling. That’s why Muhammad Ali’s fight against Joe Frazier in the Thrilla in Manila remains legendary; why Babe Ruth’s called shot lights up the eyes of any baseball fan; why Robert Horry’s game winning shots gave him the name “Big Shot Rob;” and why certain plays have the word “The” affixed to them – The Catch, The Drive, The Immaculate Reception. But something about All-Star Games saps this essential element from the beauty of sport. Gone is the smothering defense, the hard hits, the human struggle. All-Star Games are not compelling–they all too often feel dull and unnecessary.

So I propose a change. Get rid of the collegiality in these games. Make these athletes play not because they are compelled to by fiscal or contractual reasons, but by a burning desire to beat the other team or bring greater glory to their name. Bring hard defense a la Isaiah Thomas’ Bad Boy Pistons back to the NBA All-Star Game. Bring back another true dunker to the slam dunk competition – another Dr. J, Dominique Wilkins, or Vince Carter. Bring back that rivalry between the AFL and NFL that made AFL players congratulate Joe Namath on the Super Bowl III win, even as they were tackling him.

The MLB All-Star Game is on the right track, but not because of Bud Selig’s ridiculous rule governing World Series home field advantage. It’s because of the cultural and historical differences between the Senior and Junior Circuits; players play for the glory of their leagues. Differing rules, histories, and players govern baseball. Because American League and National League teams rarely play each other, and because of the deep divisions between the two, the only times players from the two leagues are likely to meet are the All-Star Game and the World Series. The MLB All-Star Game thus creates moments that are not soon forgotten – Pete Rose’s crash with Ray Fosse, Cal Ripken, Jr.’s home run, or even Josh Hamilton’s remarkable Home Run Derby. The MLB All-Star Game never needed Bud Selig’s hand – it was incredible all by itself.

So that is my proposal – make basketball, football, and hockey more like baseball. Give the players pride in their conference. Pride that when they are playing in the All-Star Game they are playing not just for individual awards and accolades, but for their conference.

Maybe then we’ll see a real All-Star Game.

Editor’s Note: This sports column is a regular feature from “The Nightcap” crew,  made up of Ari Zyskind, Dan Campbell, Kavin Shuai, and Ned Schooler, a group of 5Cers who air a weekly radio talk show on KSPC. You can listen in online at KSPC.org (click “Hear us Online via Live365”) every Monday from 8-10 PM.

Kobe Bryant and the Lakers marched through the first half of the season with confidence and swagger, building a 5 game lead going into the All-Star break. In the east, a player with never before seen athleticism has powered the Cavs to a 6 game lead.

However, the Lakers have lost 7 of their last 20 games, and are playing at a significantly lower level than they were during their championship run last spring. Kobe and Gasol have been plagued with injuries and the offense is currently ranked 6th in scoring compared to 3rd last season. Fisher’s shooting is considerably worse compared to years past, and his susceptibility to quick point guards is showing. The Lakers are a combined 0-4 against perennial powerhouses Denver and Cleveland, with an average loss differential of 15 points. Lamar Odom seems more interested in smiling for the camera and Phil seems to be waiting for the playoffs instead of actually coaching. The Nuggets are big and talented, but they lack the mental toughness to beat the Lakers in a seven game series. Let’s face it, the Lakers may seem lazy and uninterested now, but they are a playoff team.

The Cavaliers, on the other hand, are off to a franchise record start and have held the number one rank in Mark Stein’s Power Rankings since December 28th. Even though I can’t stand watching Lebron lower his shoulder and cover twenty feet after picking up his dribble, I’ve found a new respect for his game with his honed perimeter shooting. Did you see his first quarter against the Clippers last week? Those threes were unheard of! But it’s not just Lebron– as a team the Cavs are shooting over 40% from beyond the arc this season, a significant improvement from the long range bricks of the 2009 playoffs. (33.6%, 12th out of the 16 playoff teams)

While the Cavs have held court thus far, they will have no easy road to the finals.

The Magic, Celtics, and Hawks are eminently talented teams, and it’s easy to see the Magic doing exactly what they did to the Cavs during last year’s playoffs when they killed the Cavs from the perimeter; this year the Magic lead the league in 3 point differential. On the other hand, although I’m a huge Bibby fan, I still believe that the high flying Hawks will be lucky to make it into the Conference Championship game unless they can improve their 11th ranked defense.

The wheels are coming off for the Boston Celtics, having lost 13 of their last 22 games. Rajon Rondo has declared there are serious locker room problems, and that it doesn’t “feel like it’s the same continuity and camaraderie in the locker room as it was the first year.” (2007-2008) Whatever the case, the Celtics will have to tighten up their defense which has given up at least 28 points in a single quarter in each of their last four games and work through any attitude problems. I bet Rasheed can’t wait for that.

The first half of the NBA season is complete, and signs are pointing to a finals involving the once most dominant big man, the most talented scorer ever, and the most physically athletic player to ever play the game. Sound a little better than the soporific Super Bowl? I think so.

Men’s Basketball

Stags basketball has picked up right where they left off after their SCIAC championship season by going 15-3 in division III play, including 8-1 (1st) in SCIAC play. Reigning SCIAC player of the year Chris Blees CM ’11 is averaging 18.5 points per game and 7.8 rebounds per game to lead the team in both categories. The team had a huge win at Redlands for first place in the SCIAC last week. After blowing a 6 point lead with 1:09 to  play, the Stags rebounded in overtime to outscore the Bulldogs 16-8 and take sole possession of 1st place in the conference. The SCIAC champs have won 11 of their last 12 games, the lone exception being a tough 36-47 loss at Pomona-Pitzer two weeks ago in which the men made only 23% of their shots from the field. The team faces Cal Tech at home on Wednesday, then faces La Verne and Whittier, before a huge showdown at home vs. P-P a week from Saturday.

Women’s Basketball

The Athenas got off to a strong start this year, winning 9 of their first 11 games, but the conference schedule has been tough on the women. Aira Krumwiede CM ’12 was named MVP of the CMS-CalTech classic in late December, and has continued that torrid pace, averaging 14.5 points per game, shooting 36% from beyond the arc, and leading the team in steals. Cameron Hanson CM ’10 has been a dominant inside presence, shooting 57% from the field and grabbing 7 rebounds a game. They currently sit at 12-9, 3-7 in SCIAC (5th) with three games remaining, including a home game against P-P the same Saturday night as the men.

Nick Ostreim and the CMS swim team hope to repeat their success of last year. Photo Credit: Christopher Mitchell / Sport Shot Photo

Men’s Swimming & Diving

The two time defending SCIAC champion aquatic Stags once again have gotten off to a strong start in league play, besting CalTech, Pomona-Pitzer, Whittier, La Verne, Occidental, and Cal Lutheran before falling last Saturday in a tight one to Redlands. In the losing effort, Andrew Fevery CM ’13 and Garrett Smith CM ’11 won the 1m and 3m diving events, respectively, Brant Kersten CM ’12 set a pool record in the men’s mile, Nick Ostreim CM ’11 won the 200 backstroke event, and Vincent Pai HM ’12 set a pool record in the 200 breaststroke. The men will have a chance to avenge their loss at the SCIAC championships starting February 21.

Women’s Swimming & Diving

The seven time defending SCIAC champions have once again clinched an undefeated SCIAC record with their victory over Redlands this past Saturday. This past weekend, the Athenas dominated the 400 m relay, Carmen Lundell CM ’13 took 1st in both the 1m and 3m diving events, Whitney Dawson CM ’12 toasted the Bulldogs in the 1650, and Annie Perizzolo CM ’11 and Emma Jones CM ’12 both posted NCAA B-cut times in the 200 breast and 200 free respectively. Other event winners included Jones in the 100 free and Jenni Rinker HM ’11 in the 200 backstroke. Next for the Athenas are SCIAC diving prelims this Saturday and then SCAIC championships February 21st.