November 27, 2006

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Vol. 3, No. 2, November 27, 2006

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PLAY BY PLAY

NOVEMBER 27, 2006

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…unlike any other dealership in the area! �� close in on their ﬁrst As Dave Sarmadi and Robert Harper celebrate their ﬁrst anniversary as owners of their automobile dealership, they marvel at what they’ve been able to accomplish. In May, they were were named named the the No. No. 11 dealership dealership (based (based on on May, they units sold) within their district, a huge geographic territory stretching from Virginia Beach to West Virginia. Virginia. The The secret, secret, they say, is not not that that complicated: complicated: “We “We treat treat our our employees employees say, is the way they want to be treated; and we treat our customers the way they want to be treated,” Sarmadi says. “Happy employees make for happy customers.” The appearance of Dave Sarmadi Mitsubishi says a lot about the company philosophy as well: the dealership is open, inviting and immaculate. “It’s not easy easy to to keep keep our our 26,00026,000“It’s not square-foot showroom this clean,” Sarmadi admits, “but it’s worth worth the the eﬀort.” effort.” Just Just this this summer, summer, the the dealership dealership has it’s purchased an adjoining lot, enlarging the property to eight acres.

In June, a new key employee, Emily Wood, Wood, joined joined the the team team Wood, who who recently recently earned earned as assistant to the president. Wood, University, brings brings aa her degree in marketing from Winthrop University, feminine perspective to the dealership “We want want to to make make that Sarmadi values. “We sure we don’t don’t get get caught caught up up with with tunnel tunnel “We want want to to be be able able to to vision,” he says. “We customer’s perspective.” perspective.” relate to every customer’s The Dave Sarmadi Mitsubishi approach is clearly working. Sarmadi is proud file he started keeping when the of a ﬁle opened last The ﬁle dealership opened. TheAugust. ﬁle contains contains dozens of thank-you notes from dozens of thank-you notes from satisﬁed satisﬁed customers. customers. Emily Wood Come see why Dave Sarmadi Mitsubishi has created a car-purchasing environment that you you won’t ﬁnd ﬁnd anywhere anywhere else. else. won’t

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Dave Sarmadi President

2005 OUTLANDER Ranked ahead of Subaru, Honda and Nissan in JD Powers & Associates Initial Quality study among Entry SUV’s

2005 ENDEAVOR

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Ranked ahead of Honda, Nissan, Ford Explorer and Toyota Highlander in JD Powers & Associates Initial Quality study among Mid-size SUV’s.

Robert Harper Co-Owner/GM

NOVEMBER 27, 2006

PLAY BY PLAY

Playbook

Opinions

Mike Stevens ........................................... 5

Question for the Doctor

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This month’s question answered by Chris K. John, M.D.

Bob Teitlebaum ...................................... 6 Christian Moody ..................................... 7

I dislocated my shoulder while kayaking and had to go to an emergency room to have it put back in place. How can I prevent this from happening again?

Mike Ashley ............................................ 19

Articles Expert Panel Analyzes Poor Behavior in Sports ..............................4 Emery Wallace Attracts Championship Hardware .........................10 Team Roanoke County Goes International .....................................12 Can the Sport of Roller Derby Survive in Roanoke? .....................14 Hollins Coach Richie Waggoner Sells a Dream ...............................15 Charlie Moir Lands a Spot in Another Hall of Fame ..................... 16 Tiki Barber, a Legend of the Games .................................................18

Extras Question for the Doctor .......3 Natural Health Tip .................6 Playmakers ..............................8 Ask A Ref ..................................8 Snapshots of the Season ......9 Play it Safe ............................13

It’s Here! ��

In a shoulder dislocation, the ball (humeral head) comes out of the socket (glenoid). The humeral head is held in the glenoid by the surrounding ligaments and muscles, including the rotator cuﬀ. When the shoulder dislocates, the ligaments often stretch and tear away from the bone. In general, people under 25 years of age who are active have a risk up to 75-90% of recurrent dislocations after a ﬁrst episode. By age 40, this risk decreases to 30-40% but is highly dependent on activity level. Many patients will experience subluxDr. Chris K. John ation episodes where the humeral head partially comes out of the glenoid. With subluxation, the shoulder feels “loose” as if it is “sliding around.” After the shoulder is relocated, the treatment of a ﬁrst-time dislocation is usually ice, a short period of immobilization in a sling, followed by an exercise program. The length of time that a sling is used has not been shown to have an eﬀect of the risk of recurrent dislocations. Its primary purpose is comfort. Once the initial soreness goes away (1-2 weeks), speciﬁc exercises should be started to regain motion and strength. You will usually be sent to a physical therapist to supervise the rehabilitation program. It may take six weeks or longer before you are able to return to sports activities. Adequate strength will help to reduce the risk of subluxation and dislocations. Patients who continue to have recurrent dislocations or subluxations after a rehabilitation program should consider modifying their activities or surgery. Surgery is typically accomplished arthroscopically, and recovery takes three to four months.

Roanoke Orthopaedic Center

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PLAY BY PLAY

NOVEMBER 27, 2006

What Do the Real Experts Think About ‘Bad Boy’ Behavior in Sports? Visit www.playbyplayonline.net and click “What Do You Think?” to comment on this topic. by Rod Carter

Behavior.

We read and hear a lot these days about the behavior of athletes: Excessive celebratory behavior often unrelated to the team’s position in the game. Violent behavior disassociated with the game. Oﬀ-ﬁeld criminal behavior that takes players completely out of the game. Sportswriters are writing about it. Sports broadcasters are talking about it. Sports media analysts are analyzing it. All seem to agree that this behavior is a real and growing problem. Yet, the only folks we don’t seem to hear from on the subject are those who are actually trained and qualiﬁed to observe and analyze human behavior: Behavioral Scientists. So, Play by Play thought it would be appropriate to ask a few experienced, professional, behav-

ioral scientists what they thought. We chose three area experts who were not directly associated with any major college or professional sports programs. Dr. John Heil is a clinical psychologist and sport psychologist with Psychological HealthRoanoke. Heil has been director John Heil of sports medicine for the Coventry Commonwealth Games of Virginia. He coordinated medical services for the Tour Du Pont and served as chair of sports medicine and science for U.S. Fencing. Bill Nye, Ph.D., is professor and chair of the department of sociology at Hollins University. Nye has had a long association with and interest in sports, Bill Nye

Players in this Issue Publisher/Editor Graphic Designer Contributors

John A. Montgomery Donna Earwood Mike Ashley Robert Blades Rod Carter Tommy Firebaugh Sam Lazzaro Gene Marrano Joyce Montgomery Christian Moody Mike Stevens Bob Teitlebaum Bill Turner

Cover photograph courtesy of Pinkus Photos

P.O. Box 3285, Roanoke, VA 24015 (540) 761-6751 • E-mail: [email protected] On the Web: www.playbyplayonline.net ©Copyright 2006. All rights reserved. No part of Play by Play may be reproduced by any means or in any form without written permission from the publisher. Play by Play is published every fourth Monday. Deadline for submissions for the December 25 issue is December 11.

beginning with his early years in the Boston area, through his Ph.D. years at the New School University, in New York City, and on into his tenure at Hollins. Bill Work, M.S., is assistant professor of sociOakland Raiders defensive end Tyler Brayton was ology at Virginia ejected from a game and ﬁned $25,000 for blatantly Western Comkneeing another player in the groin munity College. Work is new to his post at Virginia and the pushing contest between Western but he has had a longtime players from the Seattle Seahawks interest in the sociology of sport. and the Oakland Raiders that esWork is completing his Ph.D. at calated until one player blatantly Virginia Tech, but he assured us, drove his knee into the groin of and his comments conﬁrmed, the other. that he has no bias where sports Oﬀ-Field Criminal Behavior. behavior issues are concerned. Examples include a wide range of We asked our experts to focus behaviors that have resulted in aron three areas of behavior. rests and convictions from drug Excessively demonstrative celuse and vehicular crimes to weapebratory behavior by individual ons charges and assault. All of our team-sports players. Examples experts were well aware of the beinclude: individual celebrations haviors we suggested by this catafter every successful play; larger egory. We suspect our readers are and more demonstrative celebraalso. tions after scoring or more signiﬁSports psychologist Heil says cant plays; and individual celebrait is important to distinguish betions that occur even though the tween “celebrating and taunting” player’s team is losing. when we look at behavior after plays. “They are diﬀerent,” Heil says; “the celebrations are about sharing something positive; the taunting is just negative.” Regardless, Heil says, the behavior in the arena will be “nothing more or nothing less than what that sport wants.” Heil believes that professional leagues and college sport programs have all the power they need to eliminate any behavior they don’t want. They don’t do it because the behaviors attract audience to the games, or they fear alienating players. “All they have to do is institute the right deterrents,” Heil says. “It’s nice and convenient to blame players, but the leagues and the teams are responsible.” Heil explains how this probThe ‘Denver Salute’ is a well-known lem/solution model can be apexample of excessive celebration plied speciﬁcally to unwanted Inappropriate violent behavviolent behaviors. He uses the iors by athletes during sport coninternational soccer community tests. Recent examples include: as an example of the process at the sizable brawl that occurred work. during the Florida International See BEHAVIOR, Page 17 University-Miami football game;

NOVEMBER 27, 2006

PLAY BY PLAY

Mitchell dedicates season to loved one

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f there was ever proof of the old adage, “It’s not how you start, but how you ﬁnish,” it would have to be the Lord Botetourt High School football team and, in particular, Andrew Mitchell. The Cavaliers began the 2006 season picked to ﬁnish at or near the bottom of the Blue Ridge District, but rallied on the ﬁnal night of the regular season to make the playoﬀs for the ﬁrst time since 2000. The team’s star player had to beat even greater odds to get through his season. Mitchell is no diﬀerent than a lot of other teenagers in many ways. His favorite athlete is Ohio State quarterback and Heisman Trophy favorite Troy Smith, and when Mitchell’s not checking out Ron Burgundy in the movie Anchorman for the hundredth time, he’s got Jay-Z pumping in his iPod. But unlike so many carefree — and occasionally uncaring — teenaged athletes, the star running back had to play this season with a burden few of us can comprehend. The day before school started in August, Mitchell’s girlfriend, Torie Phillips, was killed in a car wreck on U.S. 11 near her home in Cloverdale. “It was deﬁnitely the most diﬃcult opening day of school that I’ve been through in 23 years,” says Lord Botetourt Assistant Principal Tim Bane. “Coming into the school that day reminded me of walking into a funeral home.” Phillips was driving a 1998 Saturn when she ran oﬀ the road, went up an embankment and overcorrected. She likely could have made it, but her car was then hit by a Ford F-350 pickup, which caused her vehicle to turn and then be struck by a Nissan truck. Even though she was wearing her seatbelt, the multiple impacts were too much for the popular student ‘She just motivates to survive. news of the 16-year-old’s death me every day to be hitThe the Botetourt school community a better person on like a hard tackle to the solar plexus. The wind was completely knocked out and off the ﬁeld’ of the administrators, teachers, the student body — and especially Mitchell. “It’s been real tough,” says Mitchell. “You just have to live every day one minute at a time and it gets better.” Torie’s parents and Mitchell have remained close since the accident. They talk often and her mom and dad were faithful fans at Andrew’s

—Andrew Mitchell

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games this fall. They also returned a necklace to him before the start of the season, one that he had given to Torie as a gift. Inscribed on it is the word “Lucky.” Mitchell wore the necklace under his uniform, and before every game he would write her initials on his taped wrists before leaving the locker room. “She just motivates me every day to be a better person on and oﬀ the ﬁeld,” he says. “On game day, all I think about is her and what I’m supposed to do because it’s all for her.” He dedicated the season in her honor and heaven knows Torie has to be proud of him. Mitchell, who had never played running back before this school year, ﬁnished the regular season with 1,267 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns. Plus, along the way, his fellow students voted him this year’s Homecoming King. “If I was making a movie of the allAmerican high school student, Andrew would have to be in the starring role,” says Bane. “He has a 3.75 GPA in advanced classes and gets it done in the Andrew Mitchell lost girlfriend classroom, as well as on the athletic ﬁeld.” Torie Phillips the day before The way Mitchell tackled this tragschool started in August edy head-on, in many ways, mirrors his straight-ahead running style. Without question, he did his absolute best this fall to make something positive out of the unthinkable. “It’s a test of character and he has certainly passed the test,” says Lord Botetourt head football coach Tater Benson. “He’s deﬁnitely done her proud.”

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Call 375-3004 for game information.

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5.00 admission to the Stagg Bowl.

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Must be exchanged at the Salem Civic Center Box Ofﬁce not later than December 9. Not valid at the gate. Subject to capacity control. Maximum of 4 - $5 tickets per coupon.

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PLAY BY PLAY

NOVEMBER 27, 2006

What will become of Bob McLelland Field?

Natural Health Tip of the Month From Dr. Jeffrey Barker, DC, CCSP This time of year a lot of people will be doing extra amounts of yardwork. To protect your back and shoulders from this added stress, remember that good posture and balance are the keys. Try these tips... 1. Use your legs when lifting by bending at the knees instead of the waist and keep your back straight 2. Make sure that you face objects when lifting, and avoid twisting at the waist by moving your feet 3. Carry heavy objects close to your body 4. If carrying multiple objects, try to balance out the weight evenly on each side of your body 5. If you have overdone it, visit your chiropractor to get rebalanced

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ployees to whom she talks are dismissive. In fact, one oﬃcial asked if she wanted the plaque to melt it down. She was told that she could stop by and view the plaque if she wished. In fairness, McLelland holds a special place for me. He hired me in 1970 and gave me a chance to cover a lot of big-time sports — the Washington Redskins, the Baltimore Colts and the ACC basketball tournament. For those who don’t know, McLelland was the sports editor of the old Roanoke World-News, an evening paper that merged with The Roanoke Times in 1976 when Landmark Communications, which owned both products, decided to put out an “all-day newspaper” (called the Roanoke Times & World-News), combining the staﬀs. The merged sports department reported to Bill Brill, who had previously been sports editor of The Times. McLelland, famous for his love of high school sports and coverage of prep athletics, was retained as the high school sports editor for both papers, with a focus on the schools in metropolitan Roanoke. McLelland probably coached half of the football players in youth leagues around Roanoke before they played in high school. It seemed as if everyone knew “Guts,” as McLelland was aﬀectionately known. When I was in town to interview with McLelland for a job at the World-News, Brill also talked to me about a job on The Times. I wanted to work for an evening paper, so I went with McLelland. Of course, I had previously been a prep editor for two other newspapers, so McLelland’s interest in high school sports was a key in my McLelland’s passion was youth sports ﬁnal decision. McLelland told me that by joining the World-News that I would also cover the Washington Redskins’ home games as well as those of the Baltimore Colts. What a dream for a 31-year-old sportswriter! I would also cover ACC sports as well as the basketball tournament. Sportswriting assignments don’t get much better. I found out quickly that Brill and McLelland didn’t care much for one another. They had diﬀerent journalistic callings. Brill loved to get scoops and when The Times did, all I would hear was the members of that department bragging about the scoop. From my morning paper experience, I knew they had a huge edge in breaking stories, most of which happened during the day after an evening paper had gone to press. At times, I had to resort to guerilla tactics to beat the morning paper reporters. I had several notable successes, some of which have been previously recounted in this space. McLelland was a competitor on and oﬀ the ﬁeld, and I knew he appreciated my eﬀorts. Working for an evening paper meant arriving at work at 6:30 a.m., so McLelland saw to it that everyone got an extra day oﬀ each week. When I was in the oﬃce with him and assistant sports editor Marty Horne on those early mornings, I’d walk down Campbell Avenue to get breakfast. “(McLelland) always wanted a fried egg sandwich on burnt toast with extra mayonnaise,” Horne recalls. Horne also tells another story about McLelland. It seems he was covering a Jeﬀerson High School football game one night and the Magicians quarterback, who had played sandlot football for McLelland, was standing on the sidelines waiting for Jeﬀerson to get the ball back. “Bob called the quarterback over and suggested a play that they had used in sandlot football,” says Horne. “And Jeﬀerson scored.” During the several years that I worked for Bob, we had a tempestuous relationship at times. When we disagreed, we’d yell at each other violating every boss-employee relationship known to mankind. Then we calmed down and got along until the next disagreement a few weeks later. Still we remained very close until his death in 1994. Like nearly everyone else who ever knew Bob McLelland, I respected him greatly. It’s only right that Bob McLelland Field receive similar treatment. Photo courtesy of Barbara McLelland

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NE OF THE QUESTIONS still unanswered after Victory Stadium was demolished this past summer is what will become of Bob McLelland Field, the playing surface named after the late legendary sports editor and sandlot football coach. So far, I haven’t heard any discussion about that subject and neither has McLelland’s family. To me, the obvious answer is to name the new ﬁeld at Patrick Henry High School after McLelland. After all, he covered most of the athletes to come through that school in its ﬁrst 20-25 years and he also sent four daughters to the school. Bob’s wife, Barbara, says their daughter, Ginny Headen, called City Manager Darlene Burcham’s oﬃce and said that when the stadium was demolished, the family would like the “McLelland Field” plaque. As far as the McLelland family knows, the plaque is being kept in storage under the premise that it will be used when the city decides what to do with the land. It might eventually be used for soccer ﬁelds. There was a sign on the old press box calling it McLelland Field. Barbara McLelland says her grandson, Travis Whisnant, retrieved the sign, which was bent at one end. It’s now under a deck at McLelland’s house. Still, you’ve got to wonder why they gave out bricks when the stadium was torn down. Why didn’t they give out clumps of the ﬁeld in honor of McLelland? The clumps might have been just as popular as the bricks, which led to traﬃc jams on Franklin Road when they were given away. McLelland had many admirers in this town; almost every football player and coach would probably like to have had a piece of the turf. Headen says she was told that they were going to use the ticket booths and plaques to build a tribute to the veterans and her father. “I don’t think anything will ever develop,” Headen says. She further asserts that citizens have suggested honoring her father, but when she calls, Roanoke city em-

NOVEMBER 27, 2006

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PLAY BY PLAY

Rutgers was reminiscent of ’99 Tech team

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HY IS COLLEGE FOOTball so great? Two reasons: Rutgers and Wake Forest. Where did these teams come from? Nowhere and everywhere. They’ve always been there. Rutgers played in the ﬁrst-ever college football game, for goodness sake. Since its 6-4 victory over Princeton played before 200 fans on Nov. 6, 1869, Rutgers football hasn’t been much. (There is no truth to the rumor that Bob Teitlebaum covered that game and it’s just mean-spirited to imply Bob is that old. Bob had not yet graduated from Vanderbilt when it was played. Bill Brill covered the game.) Wake Forest has had a few moments in the sun — running back Brian Piccolo was a star in the 1960s — but it is ﬁrst and foremost a basketball school. Local football standout Richard Goodpasture, now an important cog in Salem’s coachBill Brill ing engine, was part of the Demon Deacons’ 1992 Independence Bowl win over Oregon. Goodpasture had an interception in that game and might have scored, but he was tackled by a Duck. Until Rutgers lost to Cincinnati on Nov. 18, the ubiquitous question on ESPN Radio was whether the Scarlet Knights deserved a shot at the National Championship if they went undefeated. If there was a Hokie fan out there saying “no,” that person has a short memory. It was seven years ago that the Hokies were waltzing through a Big East schedule, undefeated, hoping for a shot at the title. Other teams with one loss were decrying the Hokies’ weak schedule, weak conference, lack of decades-long tradition. The Hokies and the Florida State Seminoles completed their regular seasons as the country’s only two undefeated teams. Looking back, did the Hokies belong? Absolutely. If a team goes out, plays its schedule and does so without a loss, why should that team not have a chance for a title? The only reason I can oﬀer is the one that aﬀected Auburn two years ago — three teams did just that and there’s only room for two in a game. Although the point is now moot, the Scarlet Knights would have had to beat two Top 10 teams — Louisville (mission accomplished) and West Virginia. As of this writing, the WVU game is still looming, but I just don’t see the state university of New Jersey pulling that one out in Morgantown. Apparently, the Cincinnati Bearcats had other ideas as well. *** Agree with Weaver? Rare is the day I ﬁnd myself agreeing with Tech Athletic Director Jim Weaver and disagreeing with my friend Aaron McFarling, the sports columnist for The Roanoke Times. But McFarling recently took Weaver to task for his eﬀort to reduce or eliminate booing at football games. McFarling seemed to say that booing is harmless fun and should be allowed. Besides, the players love getting booed by opposing fans. While it might be harmless, it’s also classless. It’s obnoxious. And frankly, it’s pointless. If the opposition actually gains motivation from it, that should be reason enough not to boo. I love the geniuses who decide that using the First Amendment to justify booing is an acceptable defense. Having the right to boo in no way justiﬁes it. People everywhere have the right to be moronic jerks, but if they choose to do so, it still reﬂects negatively on them. My friends who had the good fortune to attend the Tech game at Texas A&M a few seasons back told Jim Weaver me it was amazing. Without exception, every person I know who went to that game was enormously impressed with the fans — and by extension, the team and the university. At Texas A&M, booing is considered to be beneath the character of a good Aggie. They would not

stoop so low. I’ve heard Nebraska is the same way. Now that’s impressive. *** High school playoffs I like Lee Johnson, the head football coach at Glenvar High School. I was sorry to see his team miss out on the VSHL playoﬀs, despite posting a 9-1 record. True, it doesn’t seem fair, but the idea that a good ﬁx is to expand the playoﬀs is a bit too much. The Virginia High School League has allowed each region the opportunity to expand its football playoﬀs from four teams to eight next year. Considering there are two divisions per region, this means 16 teams would make the playoﬀs in each region. That might save a 9-1 team from being left out, but it would also mean several 3-7 teams would be included — teams that did nothing to deserve a post-season berth, and teams that would likely be fodder for much stronger teams in that ﬁrst round. As it is, the top seeds are now rarely challenged by the fourth seeds. For instance, if that system was in place this season in Region III of Group AA, every school in the region but Northside, Staunton River and Appomattox would be in the playoﬀs. Salem would open the playoﬀs against Pulaski County. William Byrd would go to Amherst for a ﬁrstround game. Would there really be any need to play those games? Sure, it would make more money for the VHSL, but in the end, would it be what’s best? No. *** Things that need to go, part deux I wrote a couple of months ago about things in sports that I’m sick of seeing. I’ve heard general agreement from those comments. One thing most people would like to include is something that I should have added the ﬁrst time — the ever-present idiot in the background at a sporting event with a cell phone to his ear, obviously talking to someone watching the game, who then learns he’s on camera and has to make a fool of himself.

Holiday Hoopla Basketball Tournament December 28th, 29th & 30th - Salem Civic Center

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PLAY Makers 8

PLAY BY PLAY

Butch Blessard

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Tommy Firebaugh

lessard ﬁred a net score of 59 to capture the Roanoke Valley Senior Golf Tournament Championship played at Ashley Plantation on Nov. 1, the ﬁnal event of the year. Blessard’s net score was the lowest in the nine-tournament competition played at various courses throughout the area during 2006. Forty-seven golfers participated in the RVSGT when the season started last spring; the membership roster grew to 99 by the end of the year.

Playmakers is sponsored by Professional Therapies of Roanoke

Barber From Page 18

tory. That’s one credential the Hall of Fame voters will have a hard time overlooking as the Giants rank as one of the most successful and storied franchises in NFL history. There’s more. Barber made the Pro Bowl in 2004 and ’05. It’s likely he’ll make it for a third-straight season. He is also the ﬁrst player in league history to rush for at least 1,800 yards in one season while racking up 500 yards as a receiver. Hence, Barber has given the term “all-purpose” back new meaning. When he’s not running or going out for a pass, Barber is often blocking an opponent to help protect quarterback Eli Manning. “I don’t know if people pay attention to being an all-purpose back. While I run pretty well, I’ve been exceptional as an all-purpose back, which is what the Giants ask me to do,” Barber said. Surprisingly, his work on television might be just as impressive considering he has never had formal training. He has appeared numerous times on Fox News’ morning show, Fox and Friends. He also

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appears in a weekly show called Tuesdays with Tiki. He also has been a sports analyst for WCBS-TV in New York and this year became a guest anchor on WNYW’s Good Day to New York program. For good measure, he and Ronde have teamed up to write books for children and together they have a show on satellite radio entitled Barbershop. “I never played the game [to make] the Hall of Fame,” Barber said. “I played it to do the best job and help get my team to the Super Bowl. [Making] the Hall of Fame is not something you should strive to do.” Rick Reilly wrote a column in Nov. 13’s Sports Illustrated comparing Barber to other players who stayed in the game too long. Most of them can hardly walk and are crippled with arthritis. “The physical pounding, I’m used to and I’ve thrived on it. But it’s getting harder and harder, which is one reason I want to move on,” Barber said. “It [game preparation] wears on me. I ﬁnd myself thinking of other things which makes me want to do something else.”

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NOVEMBER 27, 2006

In an eﬀort to inform fans of the ﬁner points of the rules of the games, Play by Play regularly features “Ask A Ref,” a chance for fans to ask a question about speciﬁc sports rules, preferably those related to high school or the NCAA. Questions can be sent to [email protected]

Q. A.

What are the changes to high school basketball rules this season?

The National Federation of High Schools announced the new rules changes for basketball in April. Among those is the reduction of warnings given a team for a delay, from three to one. If a delay is called a second time, a technical foul is assessed. Water on the ﬂoor is now a cause for a delay and a warning. The other delay situations are for throw-in plane violations, for a huddle by either team and contact with the free thrower, and for interfering with the ball following a goal. Another change is in regard to timing. Previously the brief time lag between a whistle and the stopping of the clock by the clock operator was part of the game. Now, if a referee sees the exact time on the clock when a whistle is sounded, but the slight delay causes a change in the timing, the exact time can be put back on the clock. Also, uniforms, headbands and sweatbands must be either white or the color of the torso part of the jersey, and the team must wear bands of the same color.

NOVEMBER 27, 2006

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PLAY BY PLAY

Snapshots of the season Salem’s streak Thanks to the direction of Salem High School head football coach Stephen Magenbauer and quarterback Mark Hanabury (left) and the strong running of Brandon Grigsby (7, below), the Spartans had extended their winning streak to 33 consecutive games as of press time.

 Bill Turner

Mud Bowl

William Fleming High School quarterback Deandre Mumford found the conditions especially challenging when the Colonels traveled to Lord Botetourt on the rainy night of Oct. 27. Nevertheless, the Colonels weathered the quagmire and prevailed in overtime, 3-0.

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Bill Turner photos

 Hidden Valley It’s been another good sports year for the Titans. On Nov. 10, the football team (blue uniforms, left) defeated Cave Spring (28-10) for the ﬁrst time in school history and the girls’ soccer team (right) was recently recognized for winning the Group AA state championship last spring.

Cave Spring Volleyball

The Knights (shown below celebrating their River Ridge District tournament championship) captured their fourth Group AA state volleyball title in the last ﬁve years in Richmond on Nov. 18. On the same day, Glenvar took the Group A state volleyball title.

Bill Turner

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Catherine White

Perhaps the premier female distance runner in Roanoke Valley sports history (10 individual state titles and counting), the Northside High School senior committed in November to run next year for the University of Arkansas.

Jon Copper

The Northside graduate (54) has been an anchor for the University of Virginia’s football defense, which this season has shut out Duke and North Carolina and held North Carolina State and Miami to 7 points each.

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PLAY BY PLAY

NOVEMBER 27, 2006

HIDDEN VALLEY’S EMERY WALLACE

by Mike Ashley

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MERY WALLACE LIGHTS up as she talks about basketball. Unfortunately, at this moment, that’s about all the roundball-loving Roanoker can do with the game. For the second time in 20 months, Wallace is rehabbing from a knee injury, only this time she’s doing it as the only freshman on the defending national champion Maryland Terrapins’ team. “I’d love to be back on the court, I can’t stand (not playing),” Wallace says. “I don’t want to rush back, though. I want to go through this experience and see where I am, and if it’s better for me to redshirt, I’d love to be here another year.” Maryland coach Brenda Frese, arguably the top recruiter in the country in the women’s game, isn’t ready to close the door on her lone freshman playing this season. Wallace, who had surgery in the

preseason on a torn meniscus in her knee, is expected back by December or January. Realistically, with the all the talent in the Terrapin cupboard this year, Wallace might be better oﬀ sitting out, but Frese isn’t freezing her out. “We’ll really evaluate that come December, once we see how her rehab is going,” says Frese. “She’s doing a tremendous job with it. The more experience she gets, practicing and competing in this league is going to help her.” Wallace went down in a preseason agility drill. “My knee just popped out of place,” she recalled. “I was running and cutting and it felt like it popped. I was ﬁne for about a week and I was still able to run but there was some swelling.” Then making a post move a week later, Wallace felt the pop again and had to have an MRI on her left knee, the same one in which

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Bill Turner

Chipping in for the Champs

ﬁrst 10 games of her senior seashe had torn her anterior cruciate son at Hidden Valley last year. ligament (ACL) during the playoﬀs Wallace’s knee swelled but once as a junior at Hidden Valley High she got back, the Titans’ fortunes School. This injury is diﬀerent, swelled, too. Averaging 14 points a though maybe not completely uncontest and displaying a versatile related. In any event, rehabbing a inside-outside game, Wallace led damaged knee is something WalHidden Valley to 18 straight viclace knows all about. tories and a spot in the state title Wallace ﬁrst injured the knee game. while leading her 2004-’05 team Along the way, she picked up through the post-season — one of district player of the year honors, several times she went to the state ﬁrst-team all-state accolades and Elite Eight — and began the ardushowed the kind of game that ﬁrst ous process of coming back from caught Frese’s eye. major surgery. “In high school, her leadership, “I always heard the ACL was a her vocal-ness was what we liked,” hard recovery but I never expected six months of work like that,” she says. “It made me realize how important basketball was in my life. Not being able to do what everyone else was doing, not being able to run. It was really tough.” Tendonitis in her patella tendon even kept The trio of (left to right) Abby Oliver, Abby Redick her out of the and Emery Wallace led Hidden Valley last year

Photo courtesy of University of Maryland Athletics

says Frese of Wallace’s strengths. “She was the ultimate team leader. She’s competitive and ﬁery, obviously the way

she led her team to the state tournament. I think she’s one of those glue players that does all the little things to allow your team to be successful.” Wallace compiled a 91-10 overall record in high school, ﬁrst at Northside and then as a junior and senior at Hidden Valley. She scored 1,497 points, snared 580 rebounds and hit 106 three-pointers, transferring to HV to be with her two younger sisters, Maggie and Kelly, after her family had moved crosscounty. When she made the decision to attend Maryland during her junior year, it was similar. It was about a feeling of “family.” It was also before basketball blew up in College Park in the women’s game, the Terrapins taking the 2006 national title. “I came to Maryland because I

11

PLAY BY PLAY

loved this team, loved the coaches,” Wallace says. “I knew when I came on my visit. I knew this was where I wanted to go. It was just really the chemistry of the girls.” Wallace had played AAU basketball with Maryland star guard Kristi Toliver for the Elkton Elks, and she was hosted by Final Four MVP Laura Harper on her ofﬁcial Maryland visit, hitting it oﬀ with the fun-loving Harper from the start. But the competitive ﬁre in Wallace also drew her to Maryland, a place where Frese was rapidly assembling a juggernaut in an Atlantic Coast Conference full of powerful teams. “I wanted to be in a program that was on the rise, and I like to work hard so it was basically challenging myself,” Wallace says of her decision to join such a talent-laden program. How talented? Maryland has all ﬁve starters back from that national title team of a year ago, plus Virginia Tech transfer Christie Marrone, eligible from the get-go this year, and Tennessee transfer Sa’De Wiley-Gatewood, who’ll join the team the second semester. Wallace had seen Marrone play, even on her visits to Virginia Tech, another suitor for her services. She also played against Marrone and Wiley-Gatewood in AAU ball, playing for Elkton and before that, a Washington, D.C.-based team. Wallace wasn’t anti-Roanoke AAU, she just had an opportunity to travel and play in more events and more prestigious tournaments for the other programs. Her father, Tom, coached her

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Bill Turner

NOVEMBER 27, 2006

Wallace has grown comfortable with championship hardware

for three years with the Roanoke Stars and is a major inﬂuence in her career. He’s the ﬁrst one that Wallace wants to talk to after each game, and she credits him with ﬁrst teaching her basketball. “He’s always been there for me,” she says. Emery Wallace says she hopes to eventually work for her father, who owns Dominos Pizza franchises along the East Coast, but like playing basketball right now, she’ll have to wait. “He says I have to have a job for ﬁve years before I can come work for him,” she explains with a laugh.

With that plan in mind, Wallace wants to major in communications or criminal justice at Maryland. Already a polished public speaker, Wallace would be a natural in broadcasting, but she’s keeping all her options open, on and oﬀ the court. Once she’s cleared to practice again, she wants to improve her ball-handling to have a better chance of contributing as a wing forward. Frese also wants her to get stronger so she can bring that versatile game she had in high school to the paint and the perimeter. One way or another, Wallace plans on making her presence felt this season, whether on the ﬂoor or from the bench as a vocal cheerleader for her teammates. “I’m working as hard as I can to get back and my teammates and my coaches are supporting me,” she says. “Maryland’s going to be very good this year and I’m going to be a part of that. There’s a little bit of pressure (coming oﬀ the championship) but this team is experienced and they work hard. They proved last year that they can do anything they set their minds to.” Wallace ﬁts right into that mentality and she can’t wait to show everyone.

12

PLAY BY PLAY

NOVEMBER 27, 2006

by Gene Marrano

T

EAM ROANOKE COUNTY IS going to Malta. Never heard of Team Roanoke County, or Malta, an island nation south of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea? You ﬁgure to hear more about Malta in the next few weeks as a hardy band of amateur athletes who work for Roanoke County prepares to travel there for the World Team Challenge, where it will battle squads from all over the globe. Britain-based Challenger World sponsors a series of corporate team-building challenges globally and Team Roanoke County placed 12th overall (among nearly 50 teams) in the BG US Challenge event held in October at various venues around the Roanoke Valley.

Reverse checkers was a mental challenge in the competition

The ﬁve-member squad also ﬁnished fourth in the co-ed division since one of its members and the only woman was Natalie Dibling, a career ﬁreﬁghter in the county and a former varsity soccer player at Virginia Tech. Team Roanoke County also includes Marcus Ordonez, assistant parks and recreation director for the county and no athletic slouch himself: Ordonez played linebacker for James Madison University and, at one point while pursuing athletic training in school, interned with the Dallas Cowboys and the Colorado University Buffaloes football squad. Roanoke County Police Lt. Jimmy Chapman is the team captain and a long-distance runner; Michael Roth is a ﬁreﬁghter and Greg Martin is the manager of Camp Roanoke. The US Challenge was a blend of athletic pursuits — running, biking, canoeing, even building and using a catapult — plus mental exercises that included reverse

checkers, where the object is to lose all of the pieces, not to jump the opponent and take theirs. No one on Team Roanoke County had ever played reverse checkers. Chapman, who has competed in triathlon events, called the catapult stage at Green Hill Park the most diﬃcult for him “because I had to sit out.” One member of the

team did so at each event — except for Dibling. Chapman learned that “teamwork was absolutely necessary for overall success” and has brought that motivation back to his work with the police department. He couldn’t easily decide which event he found the most demanding at the Challenge since “I consider

Gene Marrano

Courtesy of Challenge World

Team Roanoke County goes international

Team Roanoke County (l to r): Marcus Ordonez, Jimmy Chapman, Natalie Dibling, Greg Martin and Michael Roth with County Supervisor Mike Wray

NOVEMBER 27, 2006

PLAY BY PLAY

Courtesy of Challenge World

myself an all-or-nothing kind of even more taxing. guy — I give 110 percent.” Ordonez didn’t ﬁnd his “quick Dibling has high praise for her and fast” football-training backteammates, who graciously rotatground to be all that helpful physied riding the bench so she could cally, but where the mental strateparticipate in every stage, a regy aspects were concerned being a quirement to qualify for the co-ed linebacker in college turned out to division. be a plus. “You’re vir“I just like to comtually a quarterback pete,” says Dibling, on the [defensive] who warmed up by side of the ball,” says entering the Virginia Ordonez. “This thing Derailers Series of really involved heavy mountain bike races strategy.” for the ﬁrst time this He remembers just year. At the US Chalwanting to sleep when lenge, “if we weren’t the team sat down to killing our bodies Running is part of the play reverse checkers physically we were multi-day competition as one of the biggest racking our minds — obstacles. Canoeing I don’t think I’ve ever been more into a strong headwind at Carvins stressed out and worn out from a Cove while trying to solve puzzles game of checkers before.” at the same time wasn’t far behind. Working with male ﬁreﬁghtAbout halfway through the Chalers every day helped prepare her lenge, after a mountain bike race, for the Challenge. “I leave all my the team realized it might have a clothes and horse talk at home,” chance to ﬁnish strong. says the Northern Virginia native Roanoke County Administraof her day job. tor Elmer Hodge called Team Despite working at bucolic Roanoke County “outstanding,” Camp Roanoke, Martin hadn’t as he got ready for a television feadone much mountain biking — he ture with the group shortly after it purchased one just to train for qualiﬁed for the World Challenge the US Challenge. He has other in Malta. He also deemed them passions: “I’ve been an avid rock ﬁve people who were already exclimber and mountaineer for celling in their own departments. about 15 years,” Martin says. Getting the word out about the The New River Gorge in West Roanoke Valley through media Virginia has been a focus lately. outlets like Fortune magazine He’s lived in California, Arkanwon’t hurt, says Hodge. Besides a sas, Tennessee and North Carohandful of Roanoke Valley-based lina over the years while pursuing teams, heavy hitters like Hewlettoutdoor camp-related positions Packard, Accenture and Cisco Sysand has climbed vertically at welltems also came here to compete known Eldorado Canyon in Coloduring the Oct. 19-21 event. rado. Pushing his body in diﬀerent Hodge ﬁgures all of that coverways — like running long distancage “will certainly pay oﬀ” in the es — left Martin still sore a week years ahead with new economic after the Challenge was over. Havdevelopment prospects. The couning to solve a language problem ty is soliciting contributions and exercise in the middle of a run at Hodge said the board of superviExplore Park left his muscles very sors might be willing to make up tight; he recalls teammates urging any shortfall to help cover a prohim on as they chugged toward the jected travel budget of $13,000. ﬁnish line. Who is the mental giTeam Roanoke County has been ant among Team Roanoke County seeking corporate sponsors and members? “I can tell you it’s not will also raise money for Dreamme,” says Martin with a wide grin. ﬂight, a Malta-based non-proﬁt Roth is an ex-Chicagoan and that ﬂies seriously ill children to a former Marine who put those Florida for vacations. memories of boot camp to good The US Challenge got started use in October. The mountain with a fast-paced team captains’ biker and runner “let a lot of stuﬀ meeting at the Wyndham Hotel on roll all oﬀ my shoulders” when the a Thursday night and the moongoing got tough, something he atlight navigation of a course in the tributed in large part to Marinewoods on Mill Mountain. The next instilled discipline. two days were a physically and Roth has, in fact, been to Malta mentally taxing blur that has now before while in the service. Havlanded Team Roanoke County on ing to compete in so many physiMalta from Dec. 7-10 — among the cal challenges over a short period best of the best in the world. of time took a toll on Roth and the “It’s a once in a lifetime oppormental games might have been tunity,” says Chapman.

13

Play it Safe... A message from On-Site Sports Medicine Services

Skin Infections in Athletics

The superbugs are here, and your child may be at risk.

W

idespread and inappropriate antibiotic use has encouraged the emergence of a “superbug” version of the familiar “Staph,” short for Staphylococcus aureus. The superbug version is called MRSA — Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus. It has become resistant to most antibiotics, causing devastating infections in hospitals and nursing homes. Experts have cited school athletic teams and daycare centers as sources in recent outbreaks. MRSA infections are spread by direct contact with an infected person or object, such as using the same gym equipment, handling dirty wound dressings, or touching liquid from an open wound. Prevention guidelines include: • Don’t allow sharing of towels, soap, or grooming aids. • Have athletes shower as soon as possible after direct-contact sports. • Clean equipment weekly with a solution of one tablespoon of bleach in one quart of water. • Wash soiled uniforms in hot water and dry them on the hottest cycle. Take in a plastic bag. • Keep infected areas covered with dressings. Dispose of soiled dressings immediately. • Inform the athletic trainer or coach if a child has a skin infection diagnosed as MRSA. These students should avoid contact sports until the athletic trainer or a doctor clears the athlete to return. If your child has an area that is red, swollen and painful, you should see the doctor when: • It lasts for more than a few days; • The infected area is spreading; • A wound appears infected; • A fever is present. Community-acquired MRSA can be serious, even life threatening in rare cases. If your child is diagnosed with abscess or cellulitis, ask about the possibility of MRSA. As for any other infection, the best defense is prevention, so make hand-washing a priority in your home.

Who’s taking care of your kids during practice and games?

Teams without a certiﬁed athletic trainer had a 63% re-injury rate and teams with a certiﬁed athletic trainer had a 3% re-injury rate. Our certiﬁed athletic trainers work with you to prevent injuries and keep athletes participating safely in sports. On-Site Sports Medicine provides top-quality services at competitive costs. We are happy to provide detailed cost information based on your speciﬁc needs. Please contact Roanoke, Virginia us for more 1-800-472-0646 information. [email protected] Tournament and Game Coverage Available

14

PLAY BY PLAY

NOVEMBER 27, 2006

ROLLER DERBY

Letting out aggression in a positive way

us for a group that could and a boxer on the roster compete in a profesas well. OME OF THEM MAY NOT sional circuit. Haines, aka Maureen advertise as the type of girl That’s the plan put O’Havoc, ﬁgures the you bring home to mother forth by the founders Roller Girls will split into — what with all the tattoos, ocof the Star City Roller two or three teams over casional nose ring and the like Girls, who describe the next few months, — and the recent “Spank-a-thon” themselves as regular with intramural bouts fundraiser isn’t quite like selling working folks during to follow. “Then we’ll try cookies. the day but “punk rockto ﬁnd teams in other But one thing is for sure: these ers” at night. Most of leagues to bout.” women just want to have fun. The those who have showed Joining the Women’s Star City Roller Girls roller derby up so far hail from the Flat Track Derby Assoclub hopes to get oﬀ the ground Roanoke area, although ciation (WFTDA.com), in the next few months and join participants come from a professional circuit, a professional league within the as far away as Natural is the ultimate goal but Siobhan Haines, Heather O’Bryan and Jill Carter (l to r) next year. Bridge. that could be a year or Once a staple on national televiDuring drills on a hope roller derby will catch on in the Roanoke Valley more away. The Charm sion, roller derby might be makand the apparel isn’t uniform just recent Wednesday night, skaters City Girls in Baltimore just joined ing a comeback locally — if these yet. At least one competitor wore took turns jabbing each other with that league after two years of women have anything to say ﬁshnet stockings tucked into her elbows to simulate the action they preparation, notes O’Bryan, or about it. Already in training at skates as she circled a track that might face during a bout, when the “Ace Space” as she will be known the Star City Skate Center on Heris actually a family skating center “jammer” from an opposing team on the track. shberger Road twice a week, the most of the time, complete with a attempts to lap the ﬁeld and score The Star City Roller Girls travel Roller Girls hope to attract enough mirrored disco ball on the ceiling points by passing opponents. A team could venture to Pennsylwilling participants so that severand a snack bar. well-placed elbow or body block is vania and beyond if it joins the al squads can be formed soon for “We’re girls that know how to often used to stop the jammer. WFTDA as planned. It must meet “bouts” against each other on the have fun. We’re not a bunch of Some of the prospective Star certain performance criteria beﬂat track. sissies,” says Ashley Dodd, aka City Roller Girls are in better fore it can. There are franchises all The best players from those Frances Harmer, as she watches shape physically than others, the over the country with names like teams would then form the nuclefrom the sidelines while nursing age range seems to vary somewhat the Tucson Saddle Tramps, Dalan injury. All of the skaters adopt las Derby Devils and the B.A.D. ominous-sounding stage names, Girls. part of the mystique that makes For now, it’s back to basics as the Roller Derby seem like professionteam attempts to bring up the varal wrestling to some. ied skill levels now evident during “This is a contact sport,” Dodd practice. points out. Watching practice with “Most of the girls coming in her is Jess Howell — “Sister Vigiare saying they skated as a kid lante” — a former soccer player at but haven’t skated forever [since William Byrd High School. She disthen],” says Carter, aka Whistlelocated a knee and broke an ankle bait. “It only takes a few weeks at a practice some time back. of practice before they get it “Two screws later, here I am back.” [but] I’m trying to stay involved She has wheeled through the as much as I can,” says the Mount streets of downtown Roanoke Pleasant resident, who calls roller just for fun and jumped at the derby “a good way to let out agchance to sign on with Haines and gression in a positive way.” O’Bryan. Co-president Siobhan Haines “A lot of us are getting to the had seen roller derby on televipoint where we can skate well sion and was trying to get a team enough to know we could get into oﬀ the ground when she met it. I’m getting fairly excited,” adds �� Heather O’Bryan and Jill Carter Haines, before she rolls oﬀ to re— a graphic artist for the adverjoin the practice. �� tising agency Access by day but a For the record: that spanking Star City Roller Girl by night. fundraiser at a nightclub involved �� “It just took oﬀ after that,” says $5 donations given up by willing Haines. O’Bryan knew “plenty of men for the right to be paddled by girls” willing to try out. “A lot of us Star City Roller Girls armed with are in the same circles — typical leather belts, riding crops, etc. All punk rock girls.” of the proceeds went for uniforms Don’t let that moniker fool you and equipment not purchased by though: Haines says there are the sponsors that have come forspeed-skating champions and ward so far. true athletes from other sports, For more information, contact like Howell, that are willing to the team at starcityrollers@hot�� compete. There are skateboarders mail.com. by Gene Marrano

Gene Marrano

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PLAY BY PLAY

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Waggoner sells the dreams of opportunity “We won about 80 to 85 percent of our games during that stretch,” recalls Waggoner, who is not exICHIE WAGGONER HAS pected to match that track record tasted some success before at Hollins, a perennial second-dias a basketball coach, both at vision team in the ODAC. the high school and collegiate levWaggoner stayed with Dunael. Those memories will be good gan for nine seasons, several after things to hold on to as he wades he graduated in ’92. During his into his latest challenge: WaggonRoanoke College tenure, he also er is the new head coach at Hollins helped close friend Bryan Harvey University, where the basketball — Karen’s husteam at the allband — at Glenwomen’s undervar High School, graduate school and was there went 0-25 last when the Highseason under landers won a Karen Harvey. state title in 1997, Wag goner, led by Katrina who grew up Williams. locally and atFrom Dunatended Lord gan, Wagoner Botetourt High learned “everySchool, took a hithing,” calling atus for a year afher “one of the ter coaching the best motivators women’s team at you will ever Lynchburg Col- Richie Waggoner won 16 games meet in your enlege for six sea- at Lynchburg three years ago tire life. That’s sons. He led the her thing.” Hornets to a cumulative 67-84 reWaggoner says the family atcord, three Old Dominion Athletic mosphere that Dunagan fosters Conference tournament berths means that players don’t want to and a 16-10 record in 2003-’04, the disappoint her. “She means so school’s best mark in 10 years. much to me. I wouldn’t be doing Waggoner played high school what I’m doing without her,” he basketball himself and was part says. of the ﬁrst Cavalier team to make Re-creating that family atmothe state tournament. He also sphere has been one of Waggoncompeted in golf at LB and went to er’s goals ever since. Less attitude Roanoke College, intending to do issues and, in general, a willingthe same after being courted by ness to follow instructions are two Division I Campbell University. reasons he ﬁnds coaching females “I ended up staying close to “more rewarding than coaching home,” says Waggoner, who wasn’t guys.” impressed with the surrounding Waggoner “got to be the good environs — or the lack thereof — at guy” as an assistant but learned the central North Carolina school. there were tough decisions to be A broken collarbone that he made as a head coach, about playsuﬀered while umpiring a Little ing time, about who gets cut, even League baseball game during about where to stop and eat after a his senior year at Botetourt put a road game. damper on his collegiate golf ca“You can’t make everybody reer. happy and sometimes you have to He wound up helping out with be the bad guy. That’s tough,” he the intramural basketball proadmits. gram at Roanoke College — “in Waggoner points out that actual college, you do anything for cash” games only account for about 10 — and got to know Maroons head percent of coaching responsibiliwomen’s basketball coach Susan ties — a far cry from the accountDunagan. Soon he was helping ing profession he thought was his her from the sidelines as an asdestiny after earning a business sistant; the program won seven administration degree from Roawomen’s Old Dominion Athletic noke College. Waggoner quickly Conference championships in the realized that “sitting in an oﬃce ’90s and went to eight NCAA tourand not talking to anybody” might naments, with a Sweet 16 spot in not be the right career path for 1992 and an Elite Eight berth in him, however. He is now chipping 1991 as part of the mix. by Gene Marrano

Bill Turner

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away at a master’s degree in education and teaching could be a future option. Over the years, Waggoner, 36, also helped coach softball at William Byrd High School and is assisting the golf squad when he can at Hollins, so he likes to keep busy. Like Karen Harvey before him, Waggoner also has the responsibilities of sports information director at Hollins. With Hollins, as at Lynchburg, there hasn’t been a lot of success on the basketball court over the years, so Waggoner has to sell prospects on other attractions at a school known more for academic excellence than athletics. “You’re selling the opportunity to continue playing in what is, in my opinion, the best Division III basketball league in the country,” Waggoner says. “Here’s where I think we can go…you’re selling that dream.” Waggoner says a supportive student body and more focus on athletics recently at Hollins should help make the job a bit easier. He’ll have just nine players on the roster

so conditioning will be a major factor. Senior point guard Ashleigh Smith ﬁgures to be the leader on a team he calls “hungry. You can use that to your advantage.” Lynchburg College was a “great opportunity” that Waggoner took on at age 29, but Hollins may be an even tougher task. He also looks forward to the SID duties and hopes to get more information about the school’s athletes out to the media and the public. “You’re not on scholarship, you’re not on TV,” Waggoner says about the sacriﬁces D-III athletes make in general. Hollins University gave him a chance to return to the Roanoke Valley and despite the 0-25 record last season, he remains optimistic. Karen Harvey did have a couple of seasons where her teams won more games than any others in the school’s history and Waggoner hopes to build on that. It’s not unfamiliar territory: Lynchburg squads accustomed to winning about ﬁve games a season more than doubled that mark during his stay.

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16

PLAY BY PLAY

NOVEMBER 27, 2006

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Hall-of-famer Moir retains his humility

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UT FOR A BOUT WITH rheumatic fever, Charlie Moir might never have made it to the Virginia Tech Athletic Hall of Fame. It was that illness that ended Moir’s professional baseball career and sent him on the path to become the winningest basketball coach in Tech history. Moir was a basketball and baseball player at Appalachian State, then gave up collegiate baseball when he was drafted into the pro ranks. He was allowed to remain an amateur in basketball, so he played baseball in the summer and basketball in the winter. As a ﬁrst baseman and outﬁelder, Moir advanced to Double-A before he was forced to give up the game. So Moir took up residence on the basketball court, becoming a coach after his playing days. He coached high schools in Virginia and North Carolina, then in 1963 accepted an oﬀer by Tech head coach Bill Matthews to become an assistant. A year later, Howie

Shannon took over as the head to the cheers one more time. His man for the Gobblers, but Moir enshrinement into the Tech Hall stayed to recruit and coach the of Fame was recognized at halffreshman team. time of the football game that day, In 1967 Moir left Tech for a head Betsy’s birthday. coaching job at Roanoke College. It came 19 years after Moir left His success there is a story well Tech. Then he was a casualty of an known in these parts, guiding the athletic department house-cleanMaroons to the NCAA College Diing that removed some who likely vision championship in 1972. had it coming, and others who Moir then were simply went to Tuvictims. That lane, but in departure, 1976 Matthews however, does called again. not diminish Now an assisthe accomtant athletic plishments of director, Matthe man and thews asked the coach who Moir to return was loved by to Blacksburg the univerand coach the sity for putHokies. Moir Charlie and Betsy Moir were honored ting teams on accepted, then by Virginia Tech in November the court that found himself would run in the same conference with Tuwith anyone, ﬁll up the basket lane just two years later when the from anywhere, and routinely ﬁnd Metro Conference was formed. themselves ranked in the top 20. Saturday, Nov. 10, Moir and his “I liked to get good athletes,” wife, Betsy, stood on the football Moir says. “Sometimes they were ﬁeld at Lane Stadium and listened better athletes than they were basketball players.” Case in point: Al Young, a point guard from 1982-’86 who was not only drafted, but was the last man cut by his professional team in training camp. That team? The New York Giants. Yep, the football-playing Giants. Moir talked frequently with Giants head coach Bill Parcells about Young, a thick-legged guard with incredible quickness who feared no press or doubleteam. Young had signed a grantin-aid to play football at UNC, but at a North Carolina high school all-star basketball game, realized playing hoops in college was what he wanted to do. Moir had a place for him. Moir says Young was one of the top 5 pure athletes ever to play any sport at Virginia Tech. Current Roanoke County resident Bobby Beecher was another North Carolinian that Moir was able to sign away from tobacco road schools like Wake Forest, which wanted Beecher for its front line. Beecher grew up close to Mt. Airy, Moir’s native stomping grounds. Moir knew Beecher’s high school coach well. The rest is history. After leaving Tech, Moir decided he had been in coaching long enough. “I had been in coaching 35 years. I had a good career,” he says. Christian Moody

by Christian Moody

Looking forward to retirement, Moir stayed in Salem and played golf. The good life, no doubt. But Moir soon found the good life boring. “I was watching soap operas, and I didn’t like that too much.” So Moir took a job as a sales representative for Dillard Paper Co., now xpedx. “I told them I knew people, but I didn’t know anything about paper,” Moir says. A company replete with former athletes turned business executives, Dillard recognized that Moir had what the job took — being in coaching is the same as being in sales. He worked for more than ﬁve years before giving retirement a more earnest try. By the time Tech realized Moir belonged in its hall, he had been enshrined in three other halls of fame — the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, the Roanoke College Sports Hall, and the Mt. Airy Sports Hall. Regarding those honors, Moir exudes typical humility. “Hall of fame players make hall of fame coaches,” he says. With Frankie Allen, Hal Johnston and Jay Piccola at Roanoke College, and Beecher, Dell Curry and Dale Solomon at Tech, to name just a few, great players were often on the court for Moir’s teams. But even great athletes need coaching, and they got it from Moir. With Beecher and Curry leading the charge, the Hokies defeated Memphis State when the Tigers were the country’s top-ranked team. Memphis State and Metro powerhouse Louisville were threatened by Tech with Curry’s range, so when the 3-point line was ﬁrst being debated in conferences, the Metro coaches voted against adopting the new rule. Curry played exactly one college game where a 3-point shot was within the rules. On those early-’80s Tech teams was a small guard who came in for mop-up duty — Moir’s younger son, Page. He watched the game and followed his father into the coaching fraternity, even following Charlie Moir to one of his former bailiwicks, the head coach’s oﬃce at Roanoke College. For someone retired, Moir has kept busy in the local sports scene. He was part of the group that started the Roanoke Valley Sports Club in 1993; he still enjoys its programs. Who better to be part of a sports club than a man now in four halls of fame?

NOVEMBER 27, 2006

Behavior From Page 4

“Soccer had problems,” Heil says, “many worse than ours. Violence on the ﬁeld, violence by fans. Soccer made a conscious decision to deter the behaviors and they got the results they wanted.” The tight oﬃciating during last summer’s World Cup is probably the only exposure most Americans had to the process, says Heil. “We didn’t understand it, because we didn’t know where they were coming from and what they were trying to correct. Perhaps they have gone too far the other way. They have to calibrate.” In Heil’s view, oﬀ-ﬁeld criminal behavior is more complicated and involves other forces that may not be related to the sports environment. But if criminal behavior is “enabled by the system, then the sport is also responsible,” Heil says. “If you do something and get away with it or you see others getting away with it, you will view it as acceptable.” Overall, Heil sees a need for sports leadership to accept its real role and to improve its own values before signiﬁcant, long-term improvements can be made. “The leaders of the sport are the governors of the sport,” Heil says. “They have to raise their own standards.” Too many sports league managers, athletic directors and team owners are “not integrity-driven; they are marketing driven,” Heil says. “They don’t make changes until society threatens to lose interest in their sport.” Referencing the more benign, celebratory behaviors once again, Heil suggests that there may also be a “cultural bias” driving the criticism. NBA players were the ﬁrst to come under scrutiny for these behaviors, according to Heil. The celebrations there are now recognized as part of the whole Hip-Hop culture of the NBA and as such part of black culture. These cultural aspects of the NBA have gradually become more accepted, so the behavior has become more accepted. Heil suggests that celebratory behaviors are being viewed as a greater problem now because they are becoming prominent in football, a sport that has a much wider appeal with the majority culture. Sociologist Nye thinks players generally act out “badly” because they aren’t prepared for the environment they meet in college and

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professional sports. “Their previous experience doesn’t work in the new environment,” Nye says.

its subculture. “It is a way to make a statement,” Nye says, “to express identity.” Nye likens the celebrations to urban graﬃti. “What everyone believed was just vandalism eventually came to be taken as art,” Nye says. He believes the celebrations are another form of styling and are meant more for the player’s own subculture than for the live audience or the TV cameras. As for violent beFormer Ohio State football star Maurice Clarett haviors and oﬀ-ﬁeld (center) received a prison sentence in September criminal activities, “It creates a ‘normless’ situation. Nye points to the same anomie/ They don’t know how to act.” socialization, problem/solution Nye believes this “normlessmodel described above, but he ness,” or “anomie,” as it is known doesn’t think these problems are to sociologists, explains why really growing at a high rate or are young athletes can struggle to adeven anything new. just, regardless of how disciplined “They are getting much more attheir early training may have tention,” Nye says. “Everything is been. Athletes who may have been examined so closely. There are so raised in environments with a lot many cameras. There is so much of structure and constraint sudmedia. They have to use it for denly ﬁnd themselves in an envisomething.” ronment with almost no limits on Sociologist Work shares much of their behavior, according to Nye. the same problem/solution model The more open social environwith Heil and Nye. Like them, ment of the college world and the Work sees the so-called problem special attention and privileges athletes as behaving according to accorded to athletes are foreign the norms they perceive in their to these young people. They can cultural environment. become “spoiled by this excess of The question is “how you socialfreedom,” Nye says. “Then they ize teams,” Work says. “You have don’t tolerate any to teach the value of limits very well.” team as opposed to Nye believes that The sports media individual values. sports leadership You have to reinforce are ‘selling the needs to address this values and rules.” drama produced challenge of anomie Work believes very speciﬁcally and sport leaders would by these behavdeliberately. be more successful iors. Add drama “Players need to if they built a probe socialized into cess where players and you increase their new environand coaches agree viewership’ ment so that they to rules together. understand clearly “Rules have to be what is expected of set as a group to get them.” the strongest comThis process isn’t one-time-only mitment from the players.” either, according to Nye. It will Work also views the process as need to be done repeatedly to be an ongoing eﬀort. “It’s a constant successful and still there will be struggle to maintain group think,” some deviance. Work says. “You will have to keep Nye also oﬀers speciﬁc insight coming back to it over and over.” into the excessive celebrations that The process would be simpler have been the focus of so many. and more successful, according to Like Heil, Nye views the behavWork, if the greater culture were ior as more positive than negative more in tune. Work cites the imand more understandable within portance placed on certain indi-

—Bill Work

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vidual contests and the value of winning at all costs as examples of conditions that can threaten the commitment to a team’s agreed values. Some games are viewed as having “critical importance,” Work says. “These may be championships, or games that qualify teams to advance, or just longtime rivalries.” The special importance placed on these games may cause players to set aside the rules and act inappropriately. Work believes that the conﬂict between winning and good sportsmanship is a deep-seated issue. As a prime example of the problem, Work points to youth training league games where there is no score kept during the contest. “The parents are sitting in the stands keeping score,” Work notes with disgust. “Which value do you think will get reinforced at home?” Like Heil and Nye, Work also views the same entities that complain about player behavior as sources of rei n forcement for the behavBill Work ior they criticize. The sports media are “selling the drama produced by these behaviors,” Work says. “Add drama and you increase viewership.” The attraction to drama and the focus on the deviant are general culture issues that also impact sport, according to Work. “Most of the players on these teams are not involved in these behaviors,” Work says, “but we focus on the few who are.” Work compares the situation to studies of deviant behavior in the general population. Demographically the portion of the population that is engaged in the most deviant behavior is never more than about one percent, according to Work. “But we focus on that one percent. We learn more when we focus on why most people don’t commit crimes than we do by focusing on the few who do.” So, there you have it. That’s what the experts say. But what do you think about these behaviors and the views of these experts? Visit www.playbyplayonline.net and click “What Do You Think?” Then send us a message with your view of this subject.

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NOVEMBER 27, 2006

LEGENDS OF THE GAMES

Tiki Barber wants to leave NFL in tact by Bob Teitlebaum

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NY MEMBER OF THE LOcal media who covered Roanoke native Tiki Barber at Cave Spring High School or the University of Virginia has always known Barber is a story waiting to happen. First of all, Legends of Barber knows the Games how to talk to Twenty-seventh in a Series the media. His diction is excellent; he doesn’t stutter and doesn’t brutalize the King’s English as do so many athletes who think of college as simply a springboard to a professional sports career. Barber has long been preparing for a career beyond his playing days. So when Barber said recently that he was thinking of retiring from the NFL, then conﬁrmed this notion a few days later, it should have been no surprise. Ba rber s a id

people who really know him understand the decision. Tony Kornheiser said on Pardon the Interruption, an ESPN sports show where Kornheiser and fellow Washington Post sportswriter Michael Wilbon debate topical issues, that he couldn’t believe Barber was retiring in his prime. That was tame compared to other media members. One accused Barber of creating a distraction and then former Dallas Cowboy Michael Irvin called him a quitter for walking away from a contract that calls for Barber to earn millions of dollars in the next few years. With the exception of Kornheiser, Barber spoke harshly about his critics. “I’ve been talking about retirement for years now, and it has nothing to do with being physical or money or the Hall of Fame,” Barber told Associated Press sportsw riter Tom Canavan the week the story of his ret irement broke.

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“I’m a diverse a second Super person. I have a lot Bowl is certainly of interests and, still plausible as at some point, it’s the Giants are 6-3 time to execute a following a Nov. plan that’s been 12 loss to Chicago. in place for me “Not making for about seventhe Super Bowl and-a-half to eight won’t aﬀect me. years.” For the longest Barber said he time, I thought I met with Kornhad to win a Super heiser in a producBowl. Now I know tion meeting the that I don’t have week of the ESPN to do that to deMonday night ﬁne what kind of game in Dallas player I am. Right and straightened now, I have other things out. dreams,” Barber Nothing will prevent Barber’s “For whatevsaid. retirement, not even a chance er reason, some Barber’s other to play with twin Ronde (on people think I am dreams concern right in bottom photo) disingenuous and television. He almisrepresent my intentions,” Barready has his own show in the New ber told this reporter in a Nov. 9 York area. He also frequently aptelephone interview. pears on Pardon the Interruption. “I’ve never categorized myself “A pre-game show could be with football. I’ve had a lot of other in the works,” he admitted. “But interests. I think over time people that’s a component of a lot of will understand. Over the short things I want to do. There are a term, people won’t understand lot of options. I’m very interested because our culture is so obsessed in news broadcasting. I’m sort of with sports.” interested in sports broadcasting. None of this should have been It’s a long process to ﬁgure out a surprise. Barber hinted last year what is best for me.” that this, his 10th season, might Some people have speculated be his last. Running backs take the that retiring at his peak will cost most brutal pounding in the NFL. Barber a shot at making the Hall As an all-purpose back, Barber of Fame. That might be a little fargets hit on rushing and passing fetched considering what he has plays. achieved. “Nothing will bring me back, Barber has rushed for 9,757 canot even if [I was traded] and could reer yards (ranking him in the top play with Ronde,” Barber said 20), including 971 through the ﬁrst about a possible trade that would nine games this year, which leads send him to Tampa Bay to hook up the NFL. He ﬁnished second in the with his twin brother for the ﬁrst league a year ago. His career total time since they were stars at UVa is the best in New York Giant hisin the mid-1990s. See BARBER, Page 8 Tiki Barber’s last shot at making

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NOVEMBER 27, 2006

PLAY BY PLAY

The dire ramifications of killing off Tag

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HAT MAKES ME HAPPY sometimes is that when I’m thinking I have nothing to write about in this ﬁne space each by Mike month, quite often some group of Ashley puﬀed-up meatheads will provide me with more than enough fodder. And with that said, I give you the school boards of Cheyenne, Wyo., and Spokane, Wash., which in their inﬁnite wisdom have recently joined the ranks of municipalities that have banned that scourge of the playgrounds — the game of Tag — from their school yards. Tag may well be the most noble playground pursuit possible without a ball. Admittedly, I haven’t been in a game in at least a couple of years but I hate to hear it may soon be no more. Apparently today’s kids are too rough, pushing each other down with shenanigans escalating to the level of a Miami-FIU extra point attempt. Beyond the physicality, there are those who worry the acts of exclusion that deﬁne this sport — being “It” — are ﬁlling our children with desperate angst and can only lead to low self-esteem, global warming and psoriasis. In the past, we called people who thought this way “grandmothers.” Today, they’re councilmen and board members and they wonder why kids grow up so confused. Hey, I was a fat kid. You ever try being It when you’re lugging around the extra pounds and little second-grade Sammy and Shirley are dodging and taunting you with their waif-like ﬁgures and comparatively cheetah-like speed? You gotta be tough and smart to succeed. There’s the old, “Look, your shoe’s untied” trick to slow them down. Or variations that include: “The teacher is talking to you,” or “Hey, look at that alien spacecraft landing on the jungle gym.” I had a million of them. “Hey, I’ll give you candy, if you come here.” Of course, even getting out of being It, I was always in danger of a relapse if I ventured more than a few feet away from home base. Think of the valuable lessons that taught me about being careful and always being aware of my environment. To this day, I have never accepted candy from a stranger. I don’t have to, I can aﬀord to buy it myself now. Which brings us to Halloween. I found myself conﬂicted about Halloween this year. Let me get this straight, a nation absolutely chockfull of young fatties (and I can say this — they are MY people) continues to promote a holiday that involves gorging on candy and sweets. I wanted to help stop the whole thing but then I realized going door-to-door is the only exercise a lot of these little Pudgies ever get. Particularly if they’re not even going to let them play Tag at school. First Dodgeball, and now this. I’m waiting for the lobby of the Cruelty to Oversized Red Utility Balls to come out in support of a kickball ban. Come to think of it, it hurt my self-esteem when I kicked the ball all the way to the swings and I was so fat I could only get to second base on the playground ﬁeld. Of course I also wanted to kick Miles Schmitt’s butt for always “bouncing” the ball in when he was the roller instead of giving me

SIDELINES

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a smooth roll to clout. If I’d only had the guts to put one right in Miles’ grill on a return kick. Sometimes in my sweaty ﬂashbacks, I can hear the big, red ball popping on his braces. (I’m telling you, I need teams of psychiatrists working around the clock.) (Speaking of which, I’m going to round up all these fat, little, non-tagplaying, all-the-time-sitting-on-their-butts couch potatoes and go beat the tar out of that Jared guy from the Subway sandwich commercials. Yeah, you lost all that weight eating Subway sandwiches every day. And I’m performing with the Radio City Rockettes this weekend, Ace. Geez, a guy who must live in his mom’s basement is the centerpiece of a national ad campaign. Get out of my face or I’m going to beat you senseless with a Chicken Teriyaki Club…) Hey, if they’re so big on self-esteem in the schools, here’s a list of grievances I would have liked addressed back in the day: • You want to help my self-esteem? Get the head varsity cheerleader to date me my sophomore year. My esteem would have soared. • Give me more Tater Tots “just because” instead of issuing the regulation six with my inedible hot dog and somebody please tell me what that is in the other tray compartment. • Don’t ask me any more questions about Beowulf. I’m not reading it in any version other than the Cliﬀs Notes (and even that was too dull to get through). • Oh, and talk about esteem issues; don’t send me to the blackboard to do the algebra problem in front of everyone. And stop giving me the squeaky chalk when I get there. (I still have bad dreams about that kind of experience and to the best of my recollection I actually did wear clothes to school every day and there was never really a talking badger playing pinochle at my desk.) It feels good to vent, so now let me sum up. What does all this mean, this Weenie-ﬁcation of our public playgrounds? Let’s go to the scoreboard... Our Winter Olympic team, international men’s and women’s basketball, gymnastics, World Cup Soccer, Ryder Cup teams — you name it — seem to all have marched oﬀ proudly to foreign lands in recent months essentially to bring home Certiﬁcates of Participation instead of championships. Foreign athletes are ﬁlling spots in our Major Leagues and the NBA, and while there’s nothing wrong with that, I remember when it just seemed silly to think internationals could compete with us in those sports — our sports. I always ﬁgured they could have soccer. Watching it was like reading Beowulf. (Though I’m sure playing it is a lot of fun for those who avidly enjoy the sport, are bigger and stronger than me and are prone to write snippy Letters to the Editor about fat whining columnists. Fair warning if you do so, though — I may need something else to rail about next month.) I feel a little like Archie Bunker on this rant but what are we as Americans going to do about this? We’re too sissy to get hit by a dodgeball and we’re too yellow-bellied to get pushed down playing tag. I’m depressed now. Where’s the Halloween candy? Whaddya mean it’s gone? Are there any strangers passing by with some?

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NOVEMBER 27, 2006

November 27, 2006

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