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(05/15/98 9:00am)
I arrived at the stadium three hours before game-time to soak in the atmosphere. The players were scattered around the clubhouse, some eating breakfast, some watching TV and others taking naps. To all the veteran reporters in the locker room, it was just a typical Sunday afternoon at the ballpark. But to me, it was the culmination of a dream. I didn't care that it was just the last-place Phillies and not my hometown Pirates or the Yankees, who I followed as a child. I was in a major league clubhouse, sitting next to Curt Schilling, Gregg Jefferies and Ricky Bottalico. I searched the room for relief pitcher Ken Ryan, who I was doing a feature on, but he hadn't arrived at the stadium yet. So I struck up a conversation with a writer from The Philadelphia Inquirer. After about 15 minutes, though, the Phillies' public relations director interrupted us and announced that the team had just released pitcher Steve Frey. Within a few minutes, Frey walked out of manager Jim Fregosi's office and began to clear out his locker. The seven or eight reporters in the clubhouse quickly surrounded him and began asking about his plans for the future and his opinions about the Phillies organization. Frey continued to pack up his equipment into a cardboard box while answering the questions. By the end of the interview, his entire locker was clear, except for two photos taped to the inside of the locker door. One was of his wife, and the other was of his daughter. The reporters moved across the room and began talking amongst themselves. Frey sat down in a chair in front of his locker and just stared at the photos on the inside of the door. He sat there motionless for about 10 minutes, while his teammates had gathered around the TV to watch SportsCenter on ESPN. Finally, he stood up, gently pulled the two photos from his locker, and walked out of the clubhouse with the cardboard box under his arm. To tell you the truth, I can't even remember who the Phillies played that day, and I can't remember a single pitch from that game. My only memory from my dream day at the Vet is the image of those two photos and Steve Frey's empty locker. That troubles me. Of course, I realize that sports don't affect lives in the same way that medicine, public policy and business do. But sports is about people, and people are important. When I read the Inquirer and Daily News the day after Frey was released, the stories suggested that the decision was long overdue. That may have very well been the case. After all, Frey was struggling mightily and was taking up a roster spot that could have been used to bring up a younger player and build for the future. But all of the sports writers neglected the human side of the story. Frey had been in the Phillies organization for a number of years and was nearing the tail end of his professional career. When he cleaned out his locker at Veterans Stadium, he had to know that it was likely his last serious chance to stick around in the major leagues. To the Phillies beat reporters and their editors and probably the majority of the newspapers' readers, the little story on Frey was nothing more than a sidenote to the game result. But to Frey and his family and friends, it was the most important story in the paper. And regardless of his inability to clock 90 miles per hour on a radar gun or consistently throw his curveball for a strike, Frey deserved his dignity. At the DP, that balance of honesty and compassion is especially difficult because reporters are in such close contact with their subjects. You may be in the same French class as the soccer player you are covering, or the cross country runner that you have to interview might live down the hall from you. That makes the task of being critical yet polite particularly tricky. Three years ago, after I had written a particularly stinging article about the men's swimming team, I got a visit from a member of the team at my dorm. He stormed into my room and threatened that he would be back if I ever wrote something as negative again. At the time, I blew him off and wondered why he was so upset by one of the dozens of articles I had written, many of which were extremely complimentary. A few years of reporting experience has given me some perspective on the event. Although I still stand by the words that appeared under my byline, I now understand the swimmer's reaction. Although I have written more than 200 articles in the DP, The New York Times and various other publications, the subjects of those articles have had relatively little time in the spotlight. One uncomplimentary article in the DP might constitute 25 or 50 or even 100 percent of the publicity an athlete will ever receive for his or her hours of dedication in practice and competition. That is an awesome responsibility for all reporters. My fellow DP writer may have been right that sports, in essence, are not important. But the people who coach and compete in sports most certainly are. Although the duty of a reporter is to serve the readers by always accurately portraying news as it occurred, it is also important to consider the impact that every article will have before it runs. That is not to say that an unflattering story should be held or even edited. But reporters and editors should be aware of all the possible implications of a story ahead of time. Always treat every story like it is the most important story in the newspaper, because to somebody it is.
(01/30/98 10:00am)
For the past year, 25 students have locked themselves away in a windowless office building at 4014 Walnut Street. But after living two semesters without sunlight and pushing to make 3 a.m. deadlines, The Daily Pennsylvanian's 113th Board of Managers and Editors will hand over the reins tomorrow evening at the paper's annual inaugural banquet. During their term, the DP's editors and managers covered Provost Stanley Chodorow's resignation, reported on a football eligibility controversy that forced the team to forfeit all but one game and informed the public of the University's decision to outsource facilities management to the Trammell Crow Co. All the while, they oversaw the DP's first year publishing in full color and recommitted themselves to improve the quality of reporting in the paper. The DP won the Pacemaker Award for the first time since 1989-1990 as the country's best collegiate daily, and was honored with the Trendsetter Award for technological innovation relating to the full colorization of the paper. And the DP recorded its highest profit in history. But the upcoming year promises even more changes as the 114th Board officials takes over officially, beginning with next Monday's issue. Incoming Executive Editor Michael Mugmon, who has served as the paper's copy editor for the past year, has pointed to a few areas that he will be focusing his attention on. Most notably, Mugmon says this will be a pivotal year for the DP Interactive, which will provide readers with additional information to supplement the print version. Already, DPI has begun linking full-text documents and related World Wide Web sites to the DP's regular reporting. Mugmon, who will serve as president and CEO of The Daily Pennsylvanian, Inc., will be flanked by incoming Managing Editor Yochi Dreazen and incoming Business Manager Russell Bloomfield. The three will lead the 26-person board into the DP's 114th year of publication. Dreazen has served as city news editor for the past year. The Chicago native has served as an at-large member of the DP's executive board, which is responsible for the corporations long-term planning and is also ultimately responsible for all content that appears in the DP's various publications. Dreazen, who will oversee all of the editorial operations, has worked professionally at The Jerusalem Post and The Chicago Sun-Times. Bloomfield was the DP's first-ever classified sales manager and is largely responsible for the department's success in its first 1 1/2 years of life. The Wharton junior, concentrating in finance, will manage the DP's business board and serve as vice president of the corporation.
(03/31/97 10:00am)
The Penn baseball team earned a tie after a game was called due to rain. Penn reliever Ed Kimlin was credited with a victory in the second game of the Quakers' doubleheader with Columbia on Friday. But what Kimlin accomplished was nothing less than a save. After dropping the first game of the twinbill to the Lions, 9-2, Penn again found itself in trouble late in the second contest. In the top of the sixth inning, with Columbia down by two, Lions outfielder Jason Halper launched an A.B. Fischer pitch 360 feet over the rightfield fence, tying the game at nine. After watching his team squander a six-run lead, Penn coach Bob Seddon went to his bullpen and brought in Kimlin, a junior without a career win to his name. Although Kimlin allowed a run in the top of the seventh inning, his teammates bailed him out, as catcher Dan Corleto scored Shawn Spiezio on a suicide squeeze in the bottom of the inning. Kimlin then recorded a 1-2-3 eighth and watched Penn's Jeremy Milken knock in the winning run a few minutes later. Nevermind this was merely the second game of the Ivy League season. Kimlin's victory saved the Quakers from getting swept at Bower Field, a potentially disastrous result. "It was a pretty crucial win even though it's our second [Ivy] game," Kimlin said. "We get swept today, and we are in big trouble." Instead, Penn escaped with a split and the chance to steal a couple games from the Lions in New York the following day. "It's kind of mixed emotions because we feel [Bower Field] is our place," Kimlin said. "To lose the game the way we did the first time, getting run off the field, was embarrassing. Certainly coming back to win an eker was nice, but we don't feel like we're solid right now." The opening game of the second doubleheader in as many days proved to be a pitchers' duel, with neither team scoring through seven innings. In the end, though, Penn ace Armen Simonian outlasted Columbia's Matt Rothfleisch in extra innings. Corleto again proved to be a late-inning hero for the Quakers. He reached first base on a fielder's choice and moved over to second when Drew Corradini was hit by a pitch. He then scored the eventual game-winner, when third baseman Glen Ambrosius legged out a triple, scoring both Corleto and Corradini. Simonian then pitched a 1-2-3 inning to earn the four-hit shutout. What could have easily been an 0-3 start to the Ivy season instead turned out to be a solid 2-1 series lead over Gehrig Division contender Columbia. The fourth and final game of the home-and-home doubleheader series again refused to be decided in seven innings. This time, though, it was the Lions who jumped on the scoreboard early. Penn starter Alex Hayden recorded only one out before Seddon was forced to bring in some relief. In his 1/3 inning of work, Hayden allowed five earned runs on four hits, a walk and a wild pitch. Hayden's final throw resulted in a two-run blast over the centerfield fence by shortstop Jason Wynn. Kimlin came in with the bases cleared and surrendered another homer to Gary Kahn before recording the final two outs of the inning. The Quakers pitchers held strong for the next six innings, allowing just two more runs the rest of the way. Closer Travis Arbogast held Columbia scoreless for the final three innings despite walking five. With the pitchers finally settling down, the Penn offense came alive, scoring eight runs over the third and fourth innings. Again, the game was tied after seven innings. But with a torrential downpour flooding Columbia's field, the game had to be called, resulting in the unlikeliest of baseball outcomes -- a tie. Despite the 2-1-1 Ivy record and an early lead in the Gehrig Division, the Quakers are nowhere near the shape they need to be in to win the conference. The two-day series created more questions than it answered. One area of concern as Penn looks ahead to the rest of the Ivy season has to be the quality of the pitching. Simonian's four-hit shutout lowered his team-best earned run average to 2.60. But Penn's four other starters -- Mike Greenwood, Fischer, Hayden and Ray Broome -- have ERAs of 8.10, 5.91, 11.32 and 8.18, respectively. The bullpen hasn't fared any better. Arbogast's 6.30 ERA is the best of the bunch. As a team, the Quakers have an ERA of 7.59. A number of rising stars contributed to Penn's 2-2-1 record. Sophomore third baseman Glen Ambrosius went 6-for-15 with four RBIs and four runs scored. Sophomore right fielder Russ Farscht went 4-for-13 with one home run and seven RBIs. And Corleto, in his first season as Penn's starting catcher, gunned 6-of-11 would-be base stealers. But a number of mistakes by the youngsters nearly resulted in a Columbia sweep at Bower Field. With the bases loaded with two down in the second home game and the Quakers up 6-1, Columbia's Matt Murphy rifled a shot up the middle. Penn shortstop Joe Carlon made a diving stop on the play, got up and fired to first base. But Simonian, who was playing first, thought the ball got through the infield and was positioning himself by the pitcher's mound, anticipating a cutoff from centerfield. Carlon's throw sailed into foul territory. What should have been the third out of the inning ended up costing Penn two runs on the play. And given an extra out, the Lions scored two more runs on the next at-bat. "That fundamental play? would've ended the inning," Penn assistant coach Bill Wagner said. "We could've left with a [five] run lead." The Quakers went into the bottom of the seventh that game down by one run. But Spiezio sent the the right-field line and rounded first base for the easy double. However, Spiezio failed to look up to his third-base coach, who was frantically waving him on since the Columbia right fielder had bobbled the ball in the corner. By the time Spiezio left second, the rightfielder had already picked up the bouncing ball and was sending it into second base. The relay appeared to reach third base just as Spiezio was sliding into the bag, but Spiezio was called safe. Two batters later, Spiezio scored the game-tying run on a suicide squeeze executed by Corleto. "We've got a lot of good players. It's just that a lot of the good players are new to Ivy League pressure baseball like it is here," Wagner said. Either mistake cost have easily cost the Quakers the game and resulted in a disastrous 0-2 start to the Ivy season. Instead, Penn finished its opening series with a 2-1-1 record and a huge sigh of relief.
(03/26/97 10:00am)
This article appeared in the joke issue. One week after the Wharton School of Business, Finance, Commerce, Management, Accounting, Insurance and Legal Studies announced that it will combine four management concentrations into one general Management concentration, yet another bombshell has been dropped. According to Wharton Dean Thomas Gerrity, the combination of the Entrepreneurial, Multinational, Strategic and Human Resources Management concentrations was just the tip of the iceberg. In a prepared statement obtained by The Daily Pennsylvanian, Gerrity announced that "every Wharton program will be combined into a single concentration." Management Chairperson Peter Cappelli said the decision will improve Wharton's curriculum. "I, like many other administrators, feel like students declare Management just to avoid taking real classes like finance and accounting," he said. "Let's face it -- Management as a field is bullshit." Gerrity suggested that since Wharton currently awards undergraduates with a B.S. degree, "We may as well give them B.S." University President Judith Rodin applauded Wharton's decision, claiming that the move was consistent with her "One University" plan. "I hope one day we can blur the distinctions between majors, eliminate Wharton, Engineering and Nursing and all move to a commune in Amish country," Rodin said. The decision will affect only those students who were born after Nov. 17, 1977 and before April 6, 1978. But since Wharton will no longer offer any classes, upperclassmen will also see some ramifications of the change. Gerrity said he personally e-mailed four Whartonites, but that he doesn't plan on notifying the rest of the school. Provost Stanley Chodorow said the decision is "in the spirit of the 21st Century Plan." Asked what is in the 21st Century Plan, Chodorow said "I have no damn clue." The title of the uniconcentration has yet to be determined. The finalists, according to Gerrity, are Business, Business Administration, Commerce and Jimmy. No Wharton students were available for comment. They were all too busy screwing each other.
(02/28/97 10:00am)
At the end of an incredible sophomore season, "the other recruit" has everybody asking? Paul Romanczuk had seen it before -- the packed Palestra, the wild fans, the cutting of the nets after a league championship. And he knew he wanted another four years of the same. The senior forward from Archbishop Carroll could have gone elsewhere. The offers were there -- from Princeton and a number of other Ivy League and Patriot League schools, from Delaware, from Drexel, where his father played college ball. But he had experienced the raucous atmosphere of championship basketball at the Palestra, and he was hungry for more. As a senior all-league forward averaging 14 points and eight rebounds per game, Romanczuk watched the Palestra clock tick down to zero as his team claimed the 1995 Philadelphia Catholic League championship. Almost exactly one year later, Romanczuk again waited for the final buzzer to sound, as he and his new Penn teammates topped Princeton, 63-59, in front of a sold-out Palestra crowd. The victory earned the Quakers a share of the 1996 Ivy League title. Of course, it was never supposed to happen that way -- not for Frank Brown, not for Jed Ryan and certainly not for Paul Romanczuk. Brown and Ryan arrived on Penn's campus 1 1/2 years ago as highly touted freshmen expected to carry on the Quakers' domination of the Ivy League. Romanczuk was a sort of throw-in recruit, expected to perhaps provide coach Fran Dunphy with an effective seventh man a couple of years down the road. As a senior at Beverly Hills (Calif.) High School, Brown was ranked among the nation's top 100 recruits by Blue Chip Illustrated. Ryan, the leading scorer for Pennsylvania powerhouse Erie Cathedral Prep, earned all-state honors and the interest of numerous Division I schools. Romanczuk's play for Archbishop Carroll impressed the Penn coaches, but his career statistics failed to wow the Penn faithful, who focused most of their hype on Brown and Ryan. But nearly one year later, it was Romanczuk who was starting at power forward in Penn's most important regular-season game of the 1990s. And now, nearly two years after leading Archbishop Carroll to the Catholic League title, Romanczuk has blossomed into one of the most unlikely All-Ivy candidates. By most accounts, Brown or Ryan should be the established stars by now -- not Romanczuk. But during the offseason between his freshman and sophomore years, Brown underwent surgery on his left knee. The injury never fully healed, and after one cameo appearance in Penn's second game, Brown gave up on the 1996-97 season and began rehabbing for next year. Ryan got off on the wrong foot with the Quakers -- literally. A pair of sprained ankles led to Ryan missing most of his freshman preseason. He spent the rest of his rookie year trying to catch up but ended up watching most of the action from the Penn bench. This year, Ryan has begun fulfilling some of his celebrated potential, earning a spot in the Quakers' starting lineup. In spite of -- or perhaps due to -- his original status as Penn's "other freshman," Romanczuk was the first of the three rookies to crack the starting lineup. After a number of midseason player defections, Romanczuk moved into Dunphy's seven-man rotation, filling the role of the inside banger. He quickly earned a reputation as a hard-nosed grinder who wasn't afraid to battle underneath for a rebound or dive to the hardwood for a loose ball. "I thought I'd have to work hard, maybe get a little time as a freshman, but I didn't set my goals all that high," Romanczuk said. "But then when it came to practice, I thought I had as good a chance as anybody playing here." Romanczuk's big break came when starting power forward Nat Graham, frustrated over dwindling playing time and citing his loss of love for the game, decided to leave the team last January. Desperate, Dunphy plugged Romanczuk into Graham's spot, where he started 15 of Penn's final 16 games. The move marked the first time a freshman started regularly for Dunphy since Shawn Trice did so for the 1991-92 squad. "Coach Dunphy isn't one to really start freshmen that quickly," Romanczuk said. "I was surprised, but I just took that opportunity and ran with it." All Romanczuk has done this season is establish himself as one of the Ivy League's most complete forwards. After averaging a modest 6.2 points per game last season, Romanczuk has become the Quakers' low-post go-to man this year. He is averaging 11.6 points and a team-best 5.0 rebounds and is shooting 52.7 percent from the field. If there is one sore spot for Romanczuk, though, it is his performance in Penn's February 1 loss to Cornell. In that game, Romanczuk was matched up with Big Red forward John McCord for most of the game. McCord, playing in his first season for Cornell since transferring from Monroe Junior College, put together what was arguably the most dominating performance of the Ivy season. He scored 23 points, pulled down 20 rebounds and held Romanczuk to just eight points. "After we played John McCord the first time, my immediate reaction was he may be the best player in the league," Dunphy said. Romanczuk will get his rematch with McCord tonight when Penn (10-13, 6-5 Ivy) takes on Cornell (15-9, 7-5) at 7 p.m. at the Palestra. Tomorrow, the Quakers will host Columbia (6-18, 1-11) at 7 p.m. Romanczuk's take-it-strong offensive philosophy and aggressive defense have recently drawn the attention of the officials. Against Harvard last Saturday, Romanczuk had a stellar first half, going 4-for-4 from the field, scoring nine points and holding Crimson All-Ivy forward Kyle Snowden to just two points. But Romanczuk found himself in foul trouble early in the second half and eventually fouled out with over six minutes remaining in regulation. Snowden proceeded to tear Penn for 17 second-half points and 12 second-half rebounds. The previous week, Romanczuk was called for two fouls in the first two minutes against Yale and sat out most of the first half. The Elis' Daniel Okonkwo -- another All-Ivy candidate -- torched Penn for 16 points and 11 boards. The Quakers lost both games. "Paul's got to realize that for Pennsylvania to win, he's got to be on the floor," Quakers captain Jamie Lyren said. "That may mean giving up a basket or two on the defensive end in some situations." Dunphy believes if Romanczuk can get a better mental grasp on the game and avoid his recent foul troubles, he can make the jump to that top echelon of All-Ivy players. "I hope that Paul can get to the level of Snowden, McCord and Okonkwo," Dunphy said. "I think there's a lot of similarities in all of their games. I think, in all honesty, Paul can be the best perimeter shooter of all of those guys. And as I've said before, if there's somebody better taking the ball to the basket, I haven't seem him." Paul Romanczuk may not have gotten the hype as a freshman, but he's certainly getting the respect now.
(11/11/96 10:00am)
While Mitch Marrow was silenced, Tom Foley and a cast of quieter defenders erupted in Penn's win. PRINCETON, N.J. -- Princeton coach Steve Tosches extolled the virtues of his team's bend-but-don't-break defense after his Tigers fell to Penn, 10-6, on Saturday. But Penn coach Al Bagnoli one-upped his Princeton counterpart, as his players perfectly executed a don't-budge-an-inch defense. While the 1-7 Tigers certainly put forth a valiant effort, the Quakers simply steamrolled Princeton's inexperienced offensive line. And as had been the case in Penn's previous seven contests, the main push came from the defensive line. Bagnoli could point to the game statistics and make a convincing argument that his five defensive linemen deserve game balls, and he would receive few arguments. The Quakers dominated the line of scrimmage, allowing just 49 yards on the ground. In fact, the Tigers averaged a measly 1.5 yards every time they ran the ball. But the numbers don't do the Quakers' performance justice. If Tosches was told his quarterback would be sacked six times and his offense would gain only 184 total yards, he would have guessed that Penn's No. 65 would be the star of the next morning's game-film viewing. But right guard Mitch Marrow, who might be the most physically dominating player in the Ivy League, had a near-silent day. So quiet was Marrow at Palmer Stadium that when he finally did record a big play -- a fourth-down sack of Brett Budzinski in the third quarter -- the scorers credited the play to the generic "Penn" category. Actually, Marrow's sack was more of a tag. While dropping back on a fourth-and-two late in the third quarter, Budzinski lost his footing and fell to the turf. All Marrow had to do was tap the quarterback laying at his feet. In all, Marrow's official line read zeros all across except for one assisted tackle. With Marrow fading into the background, or at least as much as 6-foot-5, 275 hulk can, the Quakers had to rely on other defenders to pick up the slack. Stepping right to the front of the line was Marrow's partner on the left side, Tom Foley. Often overshadowed by the more imposing Marrow and the louder Chris Osentowski, Foley erupted -- often right on top of Budzinski. Dedicating the game to his mother, who died of cancer on November 1, Foley knocked Princeton backwards seven times, for a total of minus-54 yards. His three sacks and four tackles for losses were both team highs, as were his six tackles. Another often overlooked lineman, right tackle Doug Zinser chimed in with 1.5 sacks and three tackles for losses of his own. "I thought their defensive line won the football game for them today," Tosches said. "I thought their defensive line played very well. They are the ones that had us on our heels, and they are the ones were putting the pressure on us." Despite Tosches's insistence that the line was responsible for most if not all of Penn's success, the play of the defensive backs cannot be understated. After weeks of having angry fingers pointed in its direction, the Penn secondary finally tightened up and refused to allow the big play. In holding Budzinski to 135 passing yards and picking off two passes, the Quakers finally showed the promise that Bagnoli had insisted was there. This is not to say that the Penn line had nothing to do with Budzinski's passing woes. While the Penn secondary surely deserves much of the credit for holding Budzinski to 135 passing yards, it was the pressure up front that often forced Budzinski to get rid of the ball before his receivers got open. Even when Foley, Zinser and company weren't sacking Budzinski, they were at least battering him after he released the ball. That shouldn't take away from the defensive backs performance, though, as Tosches suggests. It merely demonstrates that everyone on the defensive side was doing his job.
(10/23/96 9:00am)
It would be easy to give up on Steve Teodecki now. With the Quakers having made the quick two-year freefall from Ivy League champions to Ancient Eight cellar dwellers, someone has to be blamed. And Teodecki is the most obvious target. The senior quarterback's numbers -- 32-of-77 for 416 yards in five games -- suggest the Quakers should return to football's earliest days and eliminate the forward pass altogether. Only once has he reached double digits in completions this season. He's only tossed two touchdowns, just one of which came in regulation. The fact that he's only thrown two interceptions merely suggests that when he misses his target, he misses by a large margin. The answer that some Penn fans are suggesting -- dump Teodecki in favor of junior Tom MacLeod -- may be the simple solution. But Teodecki has never given up on his teammates, and now is the Quakers' chance to repay that loyalty. Teodecki could have given up three years ago, when he entered preseason camp with a shot to win the starter's position vacated by 1994 graduate Jimmy McGeehan, but lost out to classmate Mark DeRosa. That first year, DeRosa led Penn to a perfect 10-0 record and an Ivy League championship, while Teodecki watched from the sidelines. But DeRosa's second year as a starter failed to build upon his previous success. Talk of DeRosa rewriting the Penn record book was validated -- he set the school mark with five interceptions in one game. By season's end, DeRosa had tossed 19 passes to opposing defenders, a good number of which came in the red zone. Bagnoli could have, with good reason, pulled DeRosa in favor of Teodecki at numerous points during the season. But he waited until the second-to-last game of the season against Harvard to make a move, by which time the Quakers had played themselves out of the title race. After two series against the Crimson, one of which ended with a DeRosa interception, Bagnoli installed Teodecki behind center. Teodecki promptly led Penn on two scoring drives. The two Quakers were platooned the rest of the game. The next contest, Teodecki found himself in a familiar position -- on the bench -- while DeRosa led Penn to a season-finale win over Cornell. By choosing to stick with DeRosa even while he was struggling, Bagnoli told his quarterback that he had confidence in him. Teodecki could have whined about his predicament, but instead he chose to keep working. His performance off the field last season was as much a testament to Teodecki's leadership as his on-field work. When DeRosa gave up his remaining Ivy League eligibility to pursue a professional baseball career, Teodecki was handed the starter's job. But his tenure as the No. 1 was short-lived. Apparently three games and change were all Bagnoli needed to see before deciding that Teodecki's turn was over. When Columbia linebacker Rory Wilfork knocked Teodecki out of commission with a separated left shoulder two Saturdays ago, Bagnoli had the perfect opportunity to make the move he was planning on making anyway. MacLeod saw three quarters of action against the Lions and received positive reviews for his coming-out performance. For the first time all year, a Penn quarterback completed at least half of his passes. MacLeod demonstrated a poise and calmness in his 13-of-26 debut that had not yet been seen from a Quakers quarterback this season. But Bagnoli had a decision to make when Teodecki returned last weekend. He chose to shuffle his quarterbacks in and out of the game for the first three quarters. By the fourth quarter, though, Bagnoli's choice was clear. With his team down by just four points in the final minutes against Lehigh, it was MacLeod on the field. Bagnoli surely didn't base his decision on statistical data; the two quarterbacks combined for a mere 95 passing yards. In fact, Teodecki had completed 55 percent of his passes against Lehigh to MacLeod's 33 percent. Each had tossed one touchdown and one interception. On the season, their completions percentages are nearly identical -- MacLeod's 44 percent to Teodecki's 42. Any physical differences between Teodecki and MacLeod in terms of arm strength, accuracy, mobility, etc., serve only to cancel each other out. By almost any measure, Teodecki and MacLeod are equal. Bagnoli's dilemma is clear. He can go with the four-year veteran who has stuck with the program despite few minutes and little hope of ever getting playing time. Or he can look to next year and begin prepping MacLeod as the 1997 starter. If Bagnoli was playing to win this season, talent being equal, he would go with the veteran. At the quarterback position, experience and leadership are two of the most important attributes. Teodecki clearly has the advantage in both areas. By playing MacLeod, Bagnoli sends a message to his players, the fans and opponents that 1996 is a wash. While an Ivy League championship may have been forfeited with the loss to Columbia, the message that Bagnoli is sending is a dangerous one. Although Bagnoli may spend a decade or perhaps more at Penn, his players only have four shots to win. Sacrificing wins now for later isn't fair to the seniors who have been given their college years to Bagnoli and the Penn program. Most importantly, it's not fair to Teodecki, who, more so than anyone, has earned a chance -- to succeed or fail.
(10/09/96 9:00am)
and Michael Hasday It's been the kind of week that makes you embarrassed to be an Ivy Leaguer. (Of course, Cornell has had to suffer with that embarrassment for years.) The men of the Ancient Eight split their six games with the Patriot League pansies on Saturday. Now, that's just plain embarrassing folks. You see, a while ago, the Patriot League filled its rosters with scholarship boys that could play some football. But the Patsy League dumped the pseudo pay-for-play format a few years back and decided to restore some integrity to their woefully inferior academics -- with the predictable result: bad football and hick players. How hick are the players? Judge for yourself. Oedipus Rex: The Sequel of the Week It was Parents Weekend for the Bucknell Bison as they geared up to play Penn last weekend. But while the parents were assuredly psyched up for some prime Division I-AA football, their sons had something else -- quite Freudian -- in mind. You see, with a tip from a reliable Bucknell source, the crack staff at Ivy Roundup has learned that the players were engaged in a "Who has the hottest mom?" contest. Obviously, the Bison were inspired with all that maternal lust, giving the Quakers a battle until falling in overtime. Even Penn coach Al Bagnoli noticed Bucknell's improved play. "Unfortunately, they made it very hard on us," the Penn coach said. Yikes! Getting Off That Topic of the Week We here at Roundup feel it appropriate to get back to the confines of the Ivy League, a place where sisters and mothers don't need to run from their sons and brothers. On this surer ground, let us direct your attention to the painfully pathetic Brown Bears, who had the honor of ending Colgate's 16-game losing streak last week. We here at Roundup were looking for explanations for the Bears allowing a toothpaste to score 44 points on them, as well as for their 0-for-the-season start. Thus, we dialed up The Brown Daily Herald to get some answers. "They stink," an obviously knowledgeable Herald insider told Roundup. "They lost to a team that lost 16 straight games -- it's outrageous!" Source: "They had their best chance to get a win last week, and they didn't. I'm not saying they are going to finish 0-10, but my God?" Roundup's prediction of Brown's record at season's end, without heavenly intervention: 0-10. We here at Roundup figured that those potheads at Brown must be tearing themselves apart at the thought of the football team losing? "Nobody cares," our source told us. Those Brownies must be too busy fulfilling all those requirements, we guess. Columbia Hallucination of the Week All that marijuana smoke from Providence must be blowing south to Harlem -- you know, the place that Penn students go to escape the crime -- as the folks at The Columbia Spectator were not talking straight. Now that the Columbia is 3-0, you would think the student body would show a little New York City cockiness as the Lions head down to West Philly to face the Quakers this Saturday. But Brandon, the sports editor at the Spectator, was not exactly clear in his prediction. "Well, let's just say this: Y'all were better last year than you are this year, and we are better this year than we were last year, and last year we beat you, so it could happen. It's possible," said Brandon, in a not-exactly-Joe Namath-esque way. Hedging your bets there, a bit, Brandon? We here at Roundup would hedge our bets too if we thought Columbia had a chance to open its season at 4-0. That hasn't happened since 1945 -- the year, we at Roundup suspect, that the hottest mom at Bucknell was born.
(10/07/96 9:00am)
The four series that ensued after 60 minutes of regulation play expired can in no way be described as football. The new NCAA rule calling for all tie games to be decided by what amounts to a shootout is at best a ridiculous facsimile of the real game. According to the rule, which is based on the Yankee Conference's tie-breaking system, each team gets a series from the opponent's 25-yard line. If the score is still knotted after each team has had a series, both teams are given another shot to break the tie. This continues until someone has "won." But don't be mistaken. What took place at Bucknell's Christy Mathewson Memorial Stadium was not football. What the overtime process rewards -- red zone performance -- is merely one aspect of the game. Consider all of the intricacies of football that become non-factors is this new system: kick returning, clock management, field-position considerations, downfield offense and punting. It doesn't even necessarily reward the better team. A team that has an effective short-yardage game has a distinct advantage over a team that is more in the run-'n'-shoot mold. If this system is so fair, why don't they just scrap regulation play and go immediately to the playground overtime version from the get-go. For over 100 years, collegiate teams didn't find it necessary to break ties at all. If, after an hour of play, one team couldn't demonstrate its superiority over the other, then they would just called it a draw. The past century has demonstrated that a tie game can be every bit as exciting as a victory. In fact, the 1968 Harvard-Yale game that ended in a 29-29 draw is often mentioned as one of the greatest games ever played. It is the action, not the outcome, that makes a great game. And in that game, it was the Crimson's miraculous comeback, in addition to the championship implications, that make the contest stand out above the thousands of other games that have been played since football was invented. With a perfect 8-0 record on the line, the Crimson found themselves down 29-13 with 42 seconds remaining in the game. But Harvard miraculously scored two touchdowns and made good on two two-point conversions to force the tie and clinch an Ivy League championship. If those 60 minutes of action weren't exciting enough for you, maybe football is not your sport. If 1968 is a little before your time, look no further than last season's final day of Ivy League play. If you'll remember, a Dartmouth victory over Princeton and a Penn victory over Cornell would have sealed a four-way tie for the conference championship among those four teams. While the Quakers were midway through the fourth quarter of their rout of the Big Red, Princeton found itself down by three to the Big Green in the final minute of play. Faced with a fourth-and-goal situation on the Dartmouth one-yard line, the Tigers went for the sure score and kicked a game-tying 18-yard field goal, clinching the Ivy crown by a half-game. That scenario could never be played out under the new rules. And in this case, Princeton could have lost out on a deserved league title. It is ironic that the NCAA, coaches and fans alike beg for parity, then cry foul play when parity reins. The NCAA has already instituted a tie-breaking device --Ethe two-point conversion, which was designed to give coaches the choice to go for the win or go for the tie in late minutes of a close game. Of course, you're not likely to hear many complaints about the overtime system coming from the Penn locker room. The Quakers stole a game they really didn't deserve to win. Penn benefited from a borderline grounding call that pushed Bucknell out of field-goal range in the final minute of regulation. Had the call gone the other way, this debate may not have even been necessary. The fact remains that the Bison went point-for-point with the Quakers for 60 minutes, but, because of some rules committee's decision, was credited with a loss. Instead, the team that completed only three passes in regulation walked away with the win. After Penn and Bucknell sent out their punters a combined 18 times in regulation, did it really make any sense to all of the sudden make the punter ineligible? Let's play football the way it was meant to be played -- with kickoffs and 100-yard fields and a clock.
(09/30/96 9:00am)
Al Bagnoli's decision to take the ball out of quarterback Steve Teodecki's hands last weekend wasn't much of a surprise. And that was exactly the problem. Going into that season opener at Dartmouth, the Big Green coaching staff was well aware of Bagnoli's fear of having Teodecki lose the game in his first collegiate start. Bagnoli's philosophy of running the ball on first down, running the ball on second down and running the ball on all but the longest third-down situations actually worked for the first half of last week's game. Jasen Scott rushed for 165 first-half yards, while Teodecki's offensive contribution was reduced mostly to placing the ball in Scott's hands. Teodecki's first-half statistics: 2-of-8 for 15 yards. More importantly, the Quakers were within five points of the preseason Ivy League favorite on the road heading into halftime. The Quakers lost a four-point lead in the waning seconds, falling 24-22, mostly because the offense failed to kill any time off the clock, allowing the Big Green chance after chance to score on the exhausted defense. The untested senior quarterback ended the afternoon having attempted only 17 passes, completing seven for 114 yards. Like Bagnoli hoped, Teodecki did nothing to cost Penn the game. He didn't throw any interceptions. He didn't fumble. He didn't miss an absurd number of passes. But he didn't help the team win, either. And that was something Bagnoli tried to fix in Saturday's game against Colgate. By the end of the first half, Teodecki had already attempted 17 passes, just one less than he attempted in the entire game against Dartmouth. His final stats -- 15-of-29 for 151 yards and one touchdown -- hardly suggest an all-Ivy gunslinger. But they do lead one to believe that Bagnoli is slowly letting loose the reigns on his quarterback. Equally significant, Teodecki spread the passes among seven receivers -- a far cry from last week when all but one reception was pulled in by Mark Fabish. Bagnoli and offensive coordinator Chuck Priore also got Teodecki to step out of the pocket by throwing in some bootlegs and quarterback sneaks. It appeared the coaches were trying to fit the offense to Teodecki's strengths -- rolling out, scrambling, passing on the run -- than fitting Teodecki into the offense. Perhaps the biggest disappointment from the Quakers' sideline was the torrential downpour that hit Franklin Field during the first half. The slick pigskin and the slippery turf combined to create near-impossible passing conditions. Reluctantly, Bagnoli shifted his offensive focus to the running game until the skies cleared up. Nonetheless, Bagnoli sent a message to his players and to opposing teams. He is confident in his new quarterback, and he plans on tweeking the system to create a more equal balance between the passing and running games. The play-calling in the Dartmouth game was typical Bagnoli. He has always been very protective of his quarterbacks. He doesn't want to seem them fail too early in their careers. It's not so much his fear that their confidence will be shattered as much as his need to have control. And right now, control means going with those players who have succeeded before -- namely the running backs. Two years ago, when Mark DeRosa was taking his first snaps as quarterback of the Quakers, Bagnoli eased him into the system much the same way. In DeRosa's first game, he only threw 22 passes, 14 of which were completions and none of which were interceptions. Back then, Penn won the game, defeating Lafayette, 22-7. And as everybody now knows, DeRosa went on to earn honorable mention all-Ivy honors that season. In his two years as quarterback, he finished second on the Penn all-time passing chart, just 69 yards behind his predecessor, Jimmy McGeehan. He compiled a 16-3 record as a starter, leading the Quakers to one undefeated season and an Ivy League championship. Bagnoli can only hope that the Teodecki project goes so well.
(09/26/96 9:00am)
and Scott Miller After Penn got shunned in the 59 minute, 59 second game at Dartmouth, we here at Roundup certainly have a second to spare. Over the past week, in our free time, we have compiled all of the little things -- things that seem to slip by in the fleeting seconds of the Ivy League. So, without wasting any of your precious moments, we'll wind back the clock and begin with? Corrupt Chain Gang of the Week We bloodhounds at Roundup sure smelled something fishy after being denied the opportunity to attempt a game-winning field goal in Hanover, N.H. No, it was not the frosh sleeping in their own stomach extract from Saturday morning's fraternity parties. The fishy smell was coming from one conspicuous member of the nationally-renowned ECCC -- the Eastern Collegiate Chain Crew. Clad in their baseball-esque red pinstripe jerseys and stirrups, each member had their name proudly sewn on the back of their uniforms. While moving the chains is a noble occupation, perhaps the guy holding the first-down marker should have taken the day off. Especially since our Roundup sleuths were there. Branded on the back of the suspicious member was 'Faucher.' Hmm? we seem to recall a Big Green Weenie basketball coach named Faucher. We at Roundup salute the basketball 'coach.' Instead of being selfish and going on recruiting trips and scouting high schools, he helps out the rest of the Green athletic programs. Rest assured, despite Faucher's off-season neglect, the Dartmouth gurus promise us that the basketball program is still growing. We'll just have to call for a measurement on that one. Heisman Watch of the Week Football great John Heisman coached the Penn Quakers, but in contrast to his outstanding reputation, the guy actually attended Brown. With this in mind, it seems the Bears are all but calling for a Heisman trophy for their quarterback Jason McCullough. The kid who is "an All-American candidate" and "assaulted the Brown record books" is back for his final season, and expectations are high. Sources close to Roundup tell us a "McCullough for Heisman" campaign may be in the works. Try to imagine flyers plastered around campus, postcards sent out to the voters and a packed Brown Stadium. The highlight films (which obviously wouldn't include McCullough's brilliant performance in the 58-21 drubbing the Bears endured at Franklin Field last year) would sell like hotcakes. Reality check: Brown was SHUT OUT by Yale (?!!), 30-0. How 'bout starting a McCullough job search instead. Big Zeroes of the Week There is a sucker bOrn every minute, and this week in HanOver, One arrived every secOnd -- except, Of cOurse, during the One that was missing. The entering Big Green frOsh were definitely nOt financial wizards (WhartOn rejects). Enthralled with the idea they wOuld be spending the next fOur years withOut electricity, the whOle plethOra Of them bOught the dOuble-zerO t-shirts On sale specifically fOr the class of 2000. In the stands, there were mOre 'O's than a bOx of CheeriOs. Which, Of cOurse, leads us tO a little jOke: What dO DartmOuth frOsh have tO dO On the weekends in HanOver? ZerO. Princeton Loser of the Week We at Roundup had a tough time with this one. "Really?" you ask. No, not really. They're all losers. Every single one of 'em. Especially when they lost to the Big Red Suicide Machine on the frozen tundra of Schoellkopf. Unfortunately, the Little Kitties didn't toss themselves off the bridge, keeping with the time-honored Cornell tradition.
(09/23/96 9:00am)
The ref stopped the game one second too soon HANOVER, N.H. -- In the Ivy League, where there are often more students in the library on a fall Saturday afternoon studying for LSATs than there are at the football stadium, home-field advantage usually isn't really much of an advantage at all. Sure, the visitors might spend seven hours on a bus traveling through New England and might have to spend the night in a strange bed. But, let's face it, they're not flying to California. Normal travel obstacles like jet lag and time-zone changes never come into play. No, the 500 or so freshmen packed behind the Big Green bench in their brand spankin' new '00' jerseys weren't near loud enough to disrupt Steve Teodecki and the Penn offense. And the St. Bernard masquerading as the Dartmouth mascot couldn't do much to excite the alumni despite his sideline antics -- which included mostly slobbering and resting motionless on the grass with the occasional effort exuded to shift his weight to a more comfortable position. But everyone at Dartmouth's Memorial Stadium knew the outcome would have been different had the game been played at Penn's Franklin Field. Whether they were willing to admit it is another story. You see, the Quakers should have had the chance to attempt a game-winning field goal with one second remaining. But the referee decided that time had expired and sent everybody home. When Big Green quarterback Jon Aljancic found wide-out Eric Morton wide open in the end zone with 19 seconds remaining in the game, Dartmouth took two-point lead and apparently had the game won. But Penn coach Al Bagnoli had no plans to pack up the buses yet. After a squib kick to short receiver James Finn positioned the Quakers at their own 37-yard line, Teodecki took over. First, he bought a few seconds before finding receiver Mark Fabish 21 yards downfield, leaving six seconds on the clock. Teodecki spiked the ball to kill the clock, but the officials let three seconds run off before stopping the clock. After a spirited protest by Bagnoli, the referee added a whole second. The fact that it even took two seconds to spike a ball is ridiculous enough. But the inane was about to turn into the sublime. Teodecki called a timeout before the play clock expired and headed to the sidelines to discuss what to do with their four remaining seconds. The options were clear: (a) attempt a 57-yard field goal, (b) toss up a Hail Mary and hope for an interference call or a lucky catch or (c) run a quick passing play and get out of bounds to set up a shorter field goal. Despite his claim that he can consistently hit from 60 yards out, Penn placekicker Jeremiah Greathouse's career-best kick is a 50-yarder. Throw in a light headwind and the first option was justifiably passed on. The second choice, as can be ascertained from its name, requires a little help from the heavens. And Bagnoli has never been one to rely on luck alone. That left one course of action, and the Quakers executed it perfectly. Fabish, split wide right, sprinted six yards down the right sideline, spun around to make the catch and immediately stepped out of bounds. The 17,042 eyes in Memorial Stadium spun to the game clock, which hit 00:01 as Fabish's foot crossed the white line. The line judge waved his arms to stop the clock, but the Dartmouth benches emptied as the players charged the field. The referee then decreed that the game -- after 59 minutes, 59 seconds -- was over. Of course, the Quakers were by no means in sure-score territory. Greathouse still would have had a 52-yarder facing him. But I'm sure Bagnoli would have preferred to take his chances with the Ivy League's best kicker rather than head home wondering what could have been. "I don't think there's any question there was one second left," Bagnoli said. "If that was at Franklin Field, we'd have one second left." Greathouse has already proved himself capable of hitting a clutch game-winning field goal, having nailed a 41-yarder in the final minute against Bucknell last season. But Bagnoli was given no such choice. The notion that it could have taken Fabish more than four seconds to run that five-yard improvisational route is preposterous. Fabish can sprint 40 yards in just over four seconds. That's an average of about five yards per 1/2 second. Yet it took Fabish four full seconds to run what normally takes him just 1/2 second? Even when you figure in an extra 1/4 of a second because of the pads, 3/4 of a second due to the defender and a full second to wait for the pass and get out of bounds, Fabish still would have taken just three seconds to run the play -- tops. Maybe the Quakers didn't deserve to win the game. Maybe Greathouse would have missed the kick anyway. But that was not for the referee for decide.
(09/12/96 9:00am)
Former Penn baseball great Doug Glanville recorded the first home run of his major league career last night. Glanville, an outfielder with the Chicago Cubs, hit a solo shot off of Montreal starter Jeff Fassero with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning. The 1991 Penn grad earned a month-long call-up with the Cubs in June, but was sent down after hitting just .242 in 28 games. With major league rosters expanding in September, Glanville was rescued from AAA Iowa for a second time.
(09/11/96 9:00am)
Three years removed fromThree years removed fromRose Bowl appearance,Three years removed fromRose Bowl appearance,Orlando joins Penn staff Three years ago, Todd Orlando was a supporting character in one of the great rags-to-riches stories in recent sports history. During his senior season at Wisconsin in 1993, the Badgers tied Ohio State for the Big 10 championship and made their first trip to the Rose Bowl since 1962. Orlando's new job will not require any such miracle turnarounds. Hired this summer as the new linebackers coach at Penn, the former Badger inside linebacker will try to help the Quakers regain the glory of 1995, the year they captured the second of back-to-back Ivy League championships. "Fortunately, I'm coming into a program that's been very successful in the past," Orlando said. "But the key is hard work. At Wisconsin, we slowly built up to that championship season. Even in the 1-10 season and the 5-6 season, we kept working. We believed in what the coaching staff was telling us, and it was all true." Orlando has spent the two years since his college graduation coaching high school football in the greater Pittsburgh area. In the fall of '94, he was the inside linebackers coach at Central Catholic High School, before moving on to coach the defensive backs and running backs at Fox Chapel High School last year. Orlando beat out 30 to 40 candidates who sought to replace Clay Moran. After only one year at Penn, Moran left to become linebackers coach at Fairfield. At Wisconsin, Orlando played for Barry Alvarez, who was courted by the Philadelphia Eagles last year to replace former coach Rich Kotite. Alvarez removed his name from consideration and the job eventually was given to then-San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes. "Almost all of my football knowledge comes directly from Coach Alvarez," Orlando said. "He had the ability to make every player better, to make everyone work harder. He turns his players into great coaches." Orlando believes that his time under Alvarez will ease what may be a difficult adjustment, going from the high school to the collegiate level. "My advantage is that I have had the opportunity to work with great coaches at every level. So it's not going to be that hard to make the jump from high school to college, like it might be for someone with a different background." Orlando got his coaching break in large part because of his brother, Steve, a former football coach, who was friends with a number of assistants on the Penn staff. Bagnoli and a few assistants also had some contacts at Wisconsin, who put in a good word for Orlando. "He came highly recommended, so we took a long look at him, and we're glad we did," Bagnoli said. "He's done a nice job." The major difference in the coaching duties of a high school and college coach, according to Orlando, is the added recruiting responsibilities that exist at the college level. "That's something I'm going to have to prove," he said. "I'm going to have to show that I can go out and get quality players to come to the University of Penn." As the linebackers coach, Orlando will be training what has traditionally been the centerpiece position in head coach Al Bagnoli's 5-2 defensive system. In the 5-2 scheme, the defensive linemen are asked to contain their offensive counterparts at the line of scrimmage. That frees up the linebackers to stuff any holes before the opposing running back can find it. It is also necessary to have two agile linebackers who are comfortable dropping back into pass coverage. Bagnoli's system is in stark contrast to many defenses, which use three, or even four, linebackers. "Actually, I've been involved in similar defenses throughout my career," Orlando said. "We did a lot of that at Wisconsin." Orlando's top priority will be to smoothly bring two first-time starters into the Penn system. One year after losing Joey Allen to graduation and Tim Gage, first to the defensive line and now to injury, the Quakers have promoted junior Mark Van Meter and sophomore Darren MacDonald to the first team. Coming in as the new guy, just two years removed from college himself, Orlando remembers a little piece of advice his high school coach gave him. "He said there are three things you need to do to be successful -- keep your eyes and ears open and your mouth shut. That's what I intend on doing."
(08/30/96 9:00am)
Nearly every graduate of eighth grade health class could explain how people contract HIV. But even the world's leading AIDS researchers cannot detail the exact biological process that takes place when HIV infects a cell -- though new research by Pathology Professor Robert Doms may provide some answers. In July's issue of the medical journal Cell, Doms and his Medical School colleagues, along with a team from Harvard University, detail a series of proteins on the surface of white blood cells that let HIV enter the cell. Past research had already identified some proteins involved in HIV infection, but the new findings show three more may be necessary. The newly discovered proteins are called CKR2b, CKR3 and CKR5. The breakthrough, along with other recent AIDS research, may eventually provide ammunition in searching for new methods to prevent the spread of HIV. "Discovery of these proteins opens up whole new ways of trying to prevent HIV infection by blocking the virus from getting into the cell in the first place," Doms said in a statement. The report may also help explain why some people never contract HIV despite frequent exposure to the virus -- the new discovery means the infection process is more complicated than scientists thought. A protein called CD4 has been known for years to be involved in HIV infection. Another, called fusin, was identified last month by federal government researchers. Fusin is used by the strains of HIV associated with late-stage infection. The proteins Doms's team identified are associated with all stages of infection and shed light on how the virus is transmitted from one person to another. Since HIV was identified 12 years ago, AIDS researchers have been trying to explain how the virus invades the white blood cells -- the body's infection fighters.
(08/30/96 9:00am)
With 1996 Penn graduate Miles Macik about to begin his rookie season as a wide receiver for the Detroit Lions, another former Quaker is looking for a new employer in the NFL. Offensive lineman/tight end Joe Valerio, a 1991 Penn graduate, was cut by the Kansas City Chiefs on August 25. The Chiefs' second-round draft pick in '91, Valerio was better known for his four touchdown receptions than his run- or pass-blocking ability. Valerio, unable to crack the Chiefs' starting lineup as a tackle or center, spent the early portion of his career as Kansas City's backup long-snapper. But on Oct. 3, 1993, in a game against the Los Angeles Raiders, Valerio entered the game as an eligible receiver. With the ball on the one-yard line, Chiefs quarterback Joe Montana faked a handoff to running back Marcus Allen and completed the pass to his make-shift tight end in the endzone. It was the first reception of Valerio's career, either as a pro or a collegian. Valerio would go on to catch three more passes as the third tight end in Kansas City's jumbo lineup, all for touchdowns. The most recent catch was last October 1 in a game against the Arizona Cardinals. That reception was another one-yarder, courtesy of quarterback Steve Bono. But the Chiefs decided that it was too costly to keep a career backup on their roster just for the once-a-season TD reception and released him. With the NFL season set to open on Sunday, Valerio has yet to latch on with another team. -- Eric Goldstein
(08/30/96 9:00am)
While the attention of the basketball world this summer was tuned to the brilliance of Michael Jordan, the smack talk of Gary Payton, the zen philosophy of Phil Jackson and the dye job of Dennis Rodman, the Sacramento Kings made a move contrary to the trend sweeping the NBA. The Kings hired ex-Princeton coach Pete Carril as an assistant coach. Carril sticks out in the circus that is the NBA unlike any other basketball character, except possibly Rodman. While players and coaches alike now sport thousand dollar Armani suits and drive around in exotic sports cars, the 65-year-old Carril is most comfortable on the sidelines with a simple sweater and a pair of slacks. And when he decided to dress up for his stint as a television studio host during last year's NCAA tournament, Carril went with a short-sleeved shirt, bow tie, no jacket. Carril's basketball style perfectly complements his fashion style. It's not pretty, but it serves its purpose. Using a slow-it-down offense with structured set plays combined with a strong defense, Carril's teams were regularly among the nation's leaders in scoring defense. Last year, after tying Penn for the Ivy League championship, Princeton beat the Quakers in a one-game playoff to gain a bid to the NCAA tournament. The Tigers then recorded the biggest upset of the tourney by knocking off defending national champion UCLA in the first round. The joy ride ended when the Carril's team was bumped in the second round by Final Four-bound Mississippi State. Prior to the UCLA victory, Carril had a record of bringing severe underdogs into the tournament and coming within a basket or a missed call of pulling off a major upset. From 1989 to 1992, the Tigers lost four first-round games to Georgetown, Arkansas, Villanova and Syracuse by a combined 15 points. After the playoff victory against Penn, Carril announced that he would be leaving Princeton after the Tigers' NCAA run. Although he didn't say anything at the time, Carril knew he would be moving on to the pro ranks. "I knew I was going for a few months," Carril said. "I had received four or five offers from other NBA teams in the past few years, and I knew I was going." Carril cited Kings vice president Jeff Petrie as being a key to the move. Petrie played for Carril at Princeton through 1970 and has remained a good friend of his former coach. According to Carril, he and Sacramento head coach Gary St. Jean have yet to formalize Carril's job description. "I don't know what I'll be doing," Carril said. "Whatever they want me to do, I'll do. If they want me to work with any individual player or on anything else, I'll do it." Bill Carmody, a long-time Carril assistant and his successor at Princeton, believes Carril can help St. Jean most in developing an offensive strategy. "I don't think of Carril as a defensive coach, but as an offensive coach," Carmody said. "When I think of Carril, I think of his offense. "You look what's happening in the NBA today, and it's structured offense. You look at the Chicago Bulls, and if there's any team that could afford to just shoot it up, it'd be the Bulls, with Michael Jordan and [Scottie] Pippen. But they have the most structured offense in the league. The team that could best improvise is the most organized." Although the NBA might seem like a long way from the Ivy League, Carril already has experience dealing with the pro players. Before this past year, the New Jersey Nets had held a three-week preseason training camp at Princeton every fall for 15 years. Carril routinely provided instruction to the Nets, including players like Darryl Dawkins. "NBA coaches have been constantly calling in my 10 years as an assistant here," Carmody said. Carmody believes Carril will be as successful at the pro level as he was at Princeton. "Like any coach, some guys listen and some guys don't," Carmody said. "It's the same in the NBA, the same in college. But the players tend to respond well to Coach Carril. "He's not threatening. He's only 5-7. Players really open up to him."
(08/30/96 9:00am)
Van Arsdale gets first head coaching poition after Corcoran leaves Penn to take top at Swarthmore When Marc Van Arsdale accepted the head coaching position of the Penn men's lacrosse team on July 22, he acknowledged the many changes that lie ahead in his personal life and for the Quakers' program. The former Virginia assistant coach will have to make the adjustment from the relative tranquility of Charlottesville, Va., to the bustle of city life in Philadelphia. He is moving from one of the nation's premier programs to the last place team in the Ivy League. He will no longer have seducing scholarships to hand out to the nation's elite high school players. Instead, he will have to sell Penn, the lacrosse program and himself. But one regularity of Penn life will not take getting used to for the first-time head coach -- the intense rivalry with Princeton. Van Arsdale knows as well as anyone the feeling of losing to the Tigers. Virginia has ended its season with an overtime loss to Princeton in the NCAA national championship game two of the last three seasons. The difference at Penn, of course, is that the Quakers haven't been to a Final Four since 1988 -- three head coaches ago -- and routinely suffer their losses to Princeton in the regular season, not the NCAA playoffs. The selection of Van Arsdale as the 22nd head coach in Penn's 97-year lacrosse history ended a three-week search for the replacement to Terry Corcoran, who stepped down to accept the top position at Division III Skidmore. Van Arsdale has spent six seasons with the Cavaliers, where he worked primarily with the offense. He was also responsible for much of the recruiting at Virginia. Prior to that, Van Arsdale was an assistant at lacrosse power Hobart, his alma mater, for four years. As a student at Hobart, he played on four Division III national championship teams and was named a first-team All-American as a senior. "Marc is one of the up-and-coming young coaches in lacrosse," Penn athletic director Steve Bilsky said. When Corcoran took the helm two summers ago, he was expected to turn around a Quakers program that had gone from NCAA semifinalist to 1-5 in the conference in just five years. But the task proved too daunting for Corcoran, who failed to win a single Ivy game during his two-year layover. Corcoran left Penn with a 10-18 overall record, including an 0-12 mark in conference play. Achieving success at the Division I level has proven less troublesome for the 33-year old Van Arsdale. As a member of the Cavaliers coaching staff, he has made three straight trips to the Final Four. One key adjustment for Van Arsdale will be trying to match his recruiting success at Virginia without the benefit of scholarships. "Here, I'll have to try to sell the whole package. The key is feeling good about what you're selling," Van Arsdale said. "UVA can sell the fact that they're at the top right now. Here, we'll have to show them that we're going up and that, if you come here, you can be a part of it. We'll grow up together." Van Arsdale has already received some advice on recruiting in the Ivy League from his boss at Virginia, head coach Dom Starsia, who spent 22 years at Brown prior to taking the Cavaliers head coaching position in 1992. "Recruiting is different here and there. At Penn, there are more variables," Starsia said. "When you talk to a boy in the Ivy League, you've got to discuss the financial aid situation, what the admissions department would think, how it fits with the academic index. Here, we just cut to the chase. It's more direct here. We can focus on the athletics because we have athletic grants." With Van Arsdale calling the shots, the Cavaliers trademark wide-open offense exploded for an average of 17.5 goals per game this past year as Virginia ran up a 11-4 record. Van Arsdale plans on slowly working the run-and-gun style offense into the Quakers' bag of tricks. "I'd like to bring some of that," he said. "I played in that style, and it's the same way at Virginia. I've seen it be successful. But it all hinges on the personnel. We're not going to outrun people down the field if we can't physically outrun people." In order to successfully implement a Virginia-style attack, Van Arsdale says he will have to find athletic midfielders and attackmen who can move the ball around. "I'm looking forward to playing an up-tempo game," Penn senior attackman Jon Cusson said. "That's the style I played in high school, and I think it can work here." Van Arsdale won't have to wait long to show off his new team in front of his old employers. Over the summer, six weeks before Van Arsdale was hired, Penn and Virginia scheduled a game against each other for next March. "When I first came to Virginia six years ago and left Hobart, where I had played for four years and coached for four years, one of our first games was against Hobart," Van Arsdale said. "It was easier then being on top, on the side that was favored. This time, we'll likely be the overwhelming underdog. But it'll be great seeing some of the people there again." Van Arsdale has had a number of suitors in the past few years, interviewing for vacancies at Navy and Maryland-Baltimore County. In fact, Van Arsdale was a candidate for the Penn position three years ago when G.W. Mix resigned as head coach. But Corcoran got the job, and Van Arsdale had to wait another two years for his break. "Hopefully, I've been learning more each year that I do this," Van Arsdale said. "Also, I think the Penn situation is better suited for me now. I think it was important when Corcoran came in to have a coach who had been a head coach before. That's not so important now." Van Arsdale won't have much of a honeymoon at Penn. In addition to the Virginia game, the Quakers have also scheduled perennial-power Syracuse, in addition to their loaded Ivy schedule, which includes top-20 teams Princeton, Harvard, Dartmouth, Brown, Yale and Cornell. "Next year, all of the big boys are on our schedule," Van Arsdale said. "We'll have to ask ourselves: Are we ready to get on the field and have a chance? That's something we'll have to find out." Van Arsdale says that eventually he hopes to bring Penn up to Princeton's level, but acknowledges that it will be a slow process. "Right now, Princeton's at the top of the ladder," he said. "But there are a lot of other teams on the ladder between Princeton and us. Hopefully, this year we'll start beating some of those teams, and we'll work our way up from there." The coaching change figures to affect the seniors more than anyone. They will be playing under their third coach in four years and will likely not be around when and if Van Arsdale brings Penn lacrosse back to its former glory. "When I first came here as a freshman, I never expected to play under three different coaches," Quakers senior midfielder Ed Hanover said. "But I don't think the guys are too disappointed. I think everyone's pretty excited about having Van Arsdale come in here." That is everybody but Starsia, who admitted to having mixed feelings about losing his top assistant and good friend. "I tried to talk him out of it. My wife and I called him in the car [that] morning and begged him to stay," Starsia said. "He's meant so much to this program, to me and to my family. I think the Penn athletic department will enjoy having Marc and his family."
(08/08/96 9:00am)
As Princeton football coach Steve Tosches prepares to open training camp next week, I have a request for Ivy League Executive Director Jeff Orleans. Bring some plastic cups over to Old Nassau, and test those Tigers for juice. There is no way that Princeton could have won the Ivy crown last year without a little help from modern medicine. If Mr. Orleans had the courage to send each and every Tiger into the bathroom one by one, every Ivy League football fan would learn what has been long suspected. In the 1990s, you can't win in the Ivy League without cheating. Al has learned his lesson, though. So expect this year's freshmen crop to have a mean SAT right around 450. I've also heard that in his final year at Princeton, Pete Carril brought in the Chinese women's swimming coach to train his basketball players. Steve Goodrich has supposedly begun drinking toad's blood to improve his circulation. I'm also quite certain the Tigers' pitchers routinely scuff the ball with sandpaper. As we all know, Ivy League success does not come without a price. During the 1995-96 academic year, Penn became the first school to win conference titles in the three most visible sports -- football, men's basketball and baseball -- in the same year. Of course, Penn mortgaged its academic reputation for those ESPN appearances and that national exposure. Tosches said it best himself in the college football preview edition of Sports Illustrated last year. "I've been in the league since '85, and I've seen a great change in what some schools are willing to do to help their athletic teams," he said. "They're not breaking policies, they're just stretching them as if they're plastic. When does the plastic break?" That was one year ago, when the Quakers were trotting out a future NFL wide receiver on the football field, a future NBA point guard on the hardwood and a future minor league shortstop on the diamond. Penn was an easy target. Unlike Harvard and Princeton and Yale, the name "University of Pennsylvania" does not immediately draw "oohs" and "ahs" from the man on the street. Yet the Quakers managed to dominate in football, basketball and baseball. So, naturally, unable to tarnish Penn's record on the field, Tosches and others did so off the field. That quote was by no means an isolated one. Prior to the Quakers' 30-14 win over Princeton two years ago, then-Tigers running back Keith Elias, now with the New York Giants, said it's a shame that Penn admits so many athletes who could never gain admission to Princeton. And Carm Cozza, the long-time coach at Yale, who also has a long-time history of finishing at the bottom of the Ivy standings, had his words as well. "I wish I had the admissions decisions that Al Bagnoli faces," he said. Of course, providing solid evidence of any wrongdoing on Penn's part has proved more difficult for the detractors. That's because Penn, like every other Ivy school, is monitored by the league. The conference employs an Academic Index, which is the minimum level of academic achievement incoming athletes must prove. It is impossible, unless someone up in the league office is sleeping, to beat the system. Now, like every great dynasty, Penn's run has come to an end. Last fall, the Quakers lost the football crown to?Princeton. Last winter, the Quakers lost sole possession of the basketball crown to?Princeton. Last spring, the Quakers lost the baseball crown to?Princeton. Sensing a pattern? The Tigers also won Ivy titles in field hockey, volleyball, men's indoor track, men's and women's lacrosse, softball, men's crew and men's outdoor track. All this has me eagerly anticipating the upcoming Sports Illustrated college football preview. Will Tosches come clean? Will Cozza be outraged over Princeton's questionable tactics? Will Elias denounce his alma mater for lowering itself to Penn's standards? I doubt it. The reason -- Princeton, like Penn before it, has won by putting the best team on the field. There was nothing dirty about the Quakers' ascent to the top of the Ivy standings, and there was nothing dirty about the Tigers' recent success. It is troubling, though, that Princeton's trifecta of the football, basketball and baseball crowns (and lacrosse national title) didn't so much as raise an eyebrow. If Penn must have cheated, why not Princeton? I suspect the answer lies in the snobbery that is prevalent throughout the Ivy League, particularly among the Big Three schools -- Princeton, Harvard and Yale. Because they look down upon Penn as an academic institution, they assume that lack of discretion filters its way into the athletic program. Of course, when Princeton nearly sweeps the table, the rest of the league collectively applauds the efforts of their astonishing student-athletes. It's a shame that so many Penn athletes have had to graduate with an asterisk next to their names.
(08/01/96 9:00am)
Orlando hopes to follow up Rose BowlOrlando hopes to follow up Rose Bowlappearance with Ivy League championship Three years ago, Todd Orlando was a supporting character in one of the great rags-to-riches stories in recent sports history. During his senior season at Wisconsin in 1993, the Badgers tied Ohio State for the Big 10 championship and made their first trip to the Rose Bowl since 1962. Orlando's new job will not require any such miracle turnarounds. Hired last Friday as the new linebackers coach at Penn, the former Badger inside linebacker will try to help the Quakers regain the glory of 1995, the year they captured the second of back-to-back Ivy League championships. "Fortunately, I'm coming into a program that's been very successful in the past," Orlando said. "But the key is hard work. At Wisconsin, we slowly built up to that championship season. Even in the 1-10 season and the 5-6 season, we kept working. We believed in what the coaching staff was telling us, and it was all true." Orlando has spent the two years since his college graduation coaching high school football in the greater Pittsburgh area. In the fall of '94, he was the inside linebackers coach at Central Catholic High School, before moving on to coach the defensive backs and running backs at Fox Chapel High School last year. Orlando replaces Clay Moran, who, after only one year at Penn, left to become linebackers coach at Fairfield. At Wisconsin, Orlando played for Barry Alvarez, who was courted by the Philadelphia Eagles last year to replace former coach Rich Kotite. Alvarez removed his name from consideration and the job eventually was given to then-San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes. Alvarez was a major influence in Orlando's football thinking. "Almost all of my football knowledge comes directly from Coach Alvarez," Orlando said. "He had the ability to make every player better, to make everyone work harder. He turns his players into great coaches." Orlando believes that his time under Alvarez will ease what may be a difficult adjustment, going from the high school to the collegiate level. "My advantage is that I have had the opportunity to work with great coaches at every level. So it's not going to be that hard to make the jump from high school to college, like it might be for someone with a different background." The major difference in the coaching duties of a high school and college coach, according to Orlando, is the added recruiting responsibilities that exist at the college level. "That's something I'm going to have to prove," he said. "I'm going to have to show that I can go out and get quality players to come to the University of Penn." As the linebackers coach, Orlando will be training what has traditionally been the centerpiece position in head coach Al Bagnoli's 5-2 defensive system. In the 5-2 scheme, which is aimed to stuff the run and force the opposing quarterback to air the ball out, it is necessary to have two agile linebackers who can drop back into pass coverage in addition to their run-stopping duties. "Actually, I've been involved in similar defenses throughout my career," Orlando said. "We did a lot of that at Wisconsin." Coming in as the new guy, just two years removed from college himself, Orlando remembers a little piece of advice his high school coach gave him. "He said there are three things you need to do to be successful -- keep your eyes and ears open and your mouth shut. That's what I intend on doing."
