Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian

Huntsville, TexasVol 117— Issue 8 Tuesday, February 15, 2010

SPORTS INDEX

Viewpoints................page 2

News.....................page 3

Entertainment........page 4

Special...................page 6

New band, great musicSEE page 4

— See LOVE, page 3

SEE page 5

Men’s basketball loses to McNeese State 73-63

By Lauren AdkinsContributing Reporter

By Hugo LopezContributing Reporter

By Mike SilvaSenior Editor

— See LOCKOUT, page 5

Regents approve efficiency measures, increase Fall fees

— See SAFETY, page 3

FEATURE PRESENTATION

Sports....................page 5

Photo Illustration by Jared Wolf | The Houstonian

Lockout LoomingNFL players union, owners miles apart on collective bargaining agreement

Owners LockoutOwners would not communicate with current and prospective players until CBA is reached.

Last ChanceOwners can postpone agreement, later offer players last second deal.

StrikeIf players choose to decline the last second deal, they may go on strike

Potential Outcomes

Weeks after Super Bowl XLV became the most viewed television program ever, capping the most watched NFL season in history, football fans may be without the sport they love for a long time.

Disagreements between the NFL Management Council and the NFL

Players Association over the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) leave the potential for a lockout possible, and perhaps, probable.

The current CBA, a labor contract between management and its employees represented by an independent trade union, in place between team owners and the union is set to expire March 3. Recent scheduled meetings have been canceled because the two sides are so far

apart, leaving negotiations at a standstill. If a new deal is yet to be agreed upon before March 4, the game that millions have come to cherish will be in serious jeopardy.

“This is about more than a labor agreement. It’s about the future of the NFL,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told fans in an email.

Missing student investigation raises dorm safety concerns

The Residence Life Department’s decision to not communicate information about a possible missing person to all residence halls’ staff and students living in dorms may call into question students’ belief about the safety of their living space.

A University Police Department spokesman said that a Residence Life staff member reported on Jan. 21 that a female student was possibly missing because

she had not been seen since Nov. 19. Her parents claimed to have had contact with her on early January, but they were still concerned about her, the spokesperson said.

UPD would not release the identity of the student or the residence hall where she lives because an investigation is ongoing, and they are still trying to determine if the student is missing or dropped out and moved without informing the university or her parents.

The fact that a female student was missing

from a dorm was not communicated to Residence Life staff, according to Dana L. Grant, assistant director for business and operations of the department.

“This is news to me,” Grant said. “I haven’t heard of this before right now.”

Katy Rice, who works as a resident assistant at the all-female Elliot Hall, said female students often move out unexpectedly.

“Girls move out of the dorms to live with their boyfriends without informing us or their parents, so that’s why sometimes

we never see a student,” Rice said. “[It] happens all the time.”

Residents interviewed who live in Estill, Elliott and King Halls said the reason they live there is that the dorms are near the university and they are relatively safe because it is required to swipe students’ ID card to gain entrance.

UPD is notified and an alarm will sound if one of the secured doors is propped open or is not shut within 30 seconds.

Campus captures love“Love is something more stern and splendid

than mere kindness.” - C.S. Lewis When we were little kids, we gave each other

Valentine's day cards and chocolate. When we got older we wrote each other notes asking the question "will you be my Valentine?" Valentine's Day is one of the most awaited days among all occasions that celebrate relationships.

What is the big deal about this day? To many, it involves one of the most beautiful and intriguing of all human emotions, love. At Sam Houston State University, love was definitely in the air. And to defy the popular Beattles song, money plays a big part as well.

This year was special for sophomore Jennifer McConnell because it was her first Valentine's Day to have a boyfriend.

"Valentine's Day was really sweet because I got to dress up and go somewhere fancy and just spend time with my boyfriend," McConnell said.

McConnell was joined by more than 70 million Americans who said they went out to dinner on Valentine’s Day, according to a survey by the National Restaurant Association.

Restaurant spending was projected to be $3.4 billion in 2011, up from $3.3 billion last year.

McConnell said that she went to La Madeleine for dinner and spent time talking and just enjoying her boyfriend's company.

“It was so much better than any gift I could have gotten, and I feel like it is so much more significant to actually spend time with a person than to just show that you care about them through a gift,” McConnell said.

By Erin PetersonAssociate News Editor

— See RATES, page 3

The new Energy Conservation Project, designed to save $33 million in energy costs during a 20 year period, was approved in the TSUS quarterly meeting held on Feb. 10 and 11.

Through the project, 117 facilities and 3.5 million sq-ft of SHSU’s main campus will be upgraded to reduce the university’s “carbon footprint.”

Board of Regents-approved contract with Schneider Electric Buildings Americas, Inc.

In cooperation with Schneider Electric, the university will retro-fit lighting campus-wide, improve building automated systems, replace equipment and fixtures to reduce water consumption, upgrade laundry equipment to reduce natural gas consumption and install energy monitoring for optimum building efficiency.

However, while SHSU will receive approximately $371,000 in rebates for implementing energy efficiency measures.

There are several increases in fees that will affect students directly beginning Fall 2011, including a 2.7 to 4.4 percent increase in meal plan costs.

MONEY MATTERS

LOVELY SIGHT. Students were seen walking around campus with a variety of gifts , such as the traditional roses and candy along with other decorations like balloons to celebrate Valentine’s Day 2011.

MILES APART. A labor contract between management and its employees represented by an independent trade union, in place between team owners and the union is set to expire March 3. There will be no NFL games played until an agreement is made.

Page 2Friday, February 11, 2011Viewpoints

houstonianonline.com/viewpoints

The housTonian

SECTION EDITORS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Editorial

Mike Silva.............................................................................Senior EditorJessica Priest.......................................................Multimedia/Web EditorErin Peterson..................................................................Associate EditorStephen Green..............................................................Viewpoints EditorBrandon Scott.........................................................................Sports EditorThomas Merka........................................................Entertainment EditorJared Wolf.......................................................................Graphic Designer

Meagan Ellsworth...............................................................936-294-1505

STAFFKolby Flowers................................................................. Senior ReporterLotis Butchko.................................................................Sports ReporterJessica Gomez......................................................................PhotographerArpil Sanders............................................................................Copy Editor

BUSINESS MANAGER

ADVERTISING MANAGER

HEAD ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Robin Johnson.........................................................936-294-1499

Advertising

Brittany Hampton...................................................936-294-1500

Branden Price............................................................936-294-1503

Chelsea Boyd...................................................................................

Chanel Montgomery........................................................................

Faculty Adviser

Advertising Deadlines Tuesday’s Issue............... Friday at 2:00 p.m. Thursday’s Issue........... Tuesday at 2:00 p.m.

All cartoons courtesy of creators.com.

Comedy Corner

Old schoolBranden Price comments on the teen response to age

I was born in the winter of 1987. I have lived through things that many of my peers do not remember, mainly because their age does not permit it. If your math skills are not up to par, that means I am 24 years young and I am not getting any younger.

I have a particular situation, being as I am officially classified a freshman and half a credit away from being a sophomore. I initially began college when most of you were in middle school, or at least a freshman or even a sophomore in high school. This is some what

astonishing to me because sometimes I feel like I am in the twilight zone. I have seen it all, and I still have so much more to see. It also freaks me out because the older I get, e v e r y b o d y around me range from the ages of 18 to 21.

This is not a recent development. Two years ago, I met a young lady born in 1990 and a few of us were discussing our favorite childhood cartoons. People

were bringing up “The Rugrats”, “Doug”, “Rocko’s Modern Life”, etc. Then I spoke up and said, “What about Ninja Turtles?” Her response was something

to the tune of, “I don’t know what that is.” I don’t know how you could grow up in the 90’s and not know who they are but clearly that happened.

Although, the icing was placed on top of the cake on Sunday night when I decided to go and play some basketball in the HKC. We started a pick-up game, and a short, obviously young fellow spoke up and says, “I’ll take old school!” I respond with a smirk, “What makes you call me that?” He looks down at my left knee and

says chuckling, “The knee brace!” Little did he know that not only was I younger than I look, but with what looks like a handicap, I was about to put his youth to shame. That I did, and in a major way!

Sometimes I don’t like being significantly older than the people around me,

but the good thing about it is I have a good bit of wisdom to offer from my experiences. There is an old proverb which says, “Only a fool argues with experience.” I don’t claim to have all the answers, nor have I experienced everything in my short 24 years of life. Although I will

say to everyone, don’t be so quick to grow up because youth is something you can never get back. And on the other hand, I have always labeled myself as old school in a young mind.

- Branden is the advertising manager for the Houstonian

Photo Illustration by Stephen Green.

The individual opinions on the Viewpoints page are not necessarily affiliated with the view of The Houstonian or SHSU. The Houstonian is published semi-weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is a news publication of Sam Houston State University, a member of the Texas State University system, and is produced by students. It is self-supporting and welcomes all advertisers. Those interested in placing ads or classifieds should call (936) 294-4864. The Houstonian is a member of the Associated Press.

Dear Sam Houston Students, Staff and Faculty and Alumni:

The Houstonian would not survive were it not for the continued involvement and dedication of the SHSU student body. We welcome all column submissions and letters to the editor. If at any time you feel the need to express an opinion, please do not hesitate to email your thoughts or drop by our office in the Dan Rather communications building. We look forward to hearing from you and thank you as always for your continued support of the Houstonian.

Stephen GreenViewpoints Editorsgreen@houstonianonline.com

Letter to the Student Body

Since the dawn of Ke$ha, I have constantly asked myself what a “Mick Jagger” was.

On Sunday night, I finally learned what that was. I have always heard the name but just never took the time to find out who or what that was. As I was watching the Grammys I not only learned that Mick Jagger was a singer, but I also discovred that Barbra Streisand wasn’t a fictional character on “South Park.”

So I went to Twitter and Facebook to share my excitement with the world that I now knew who Mick Jagger was. I thought I was the only one. I was wrong. Really wrong.

I was instantaneously berated and verbally attacked by friends who couldn’t believe I had no idea who he was.

“Have you ever heard of the ‘Rolling Stones,’” a friend asked via Facebook.

Thanks to that friend, I now know that the ‘Rolling Stones’ is not just a magazine.

Over the years, several friends have told me that I live under a rock. They feel concerned for my well-being because I don’t know who the Beatles are or I have never been to IHOP, or Olive Garden. I can’t really explain why I don’t know who John Wayne is or why the only Star Wars I’ve ever seen was the Family Guy episode “Blue Harvest”. Simply put, the opportunity to experience these things just hasn’t come my way yet.

Many have tried to teach me the things they feel important for any human to know, but most have failed once they realize how severe my cultural deprivation is and give up.

This semester, however, things are beginning to turn around. Upset at my lack of cultural knowledge, a

friend challenged me to try something new everyday. To complete this project, I simply have to find something new and tweet my experience with the included the #SomethingNew hash tag.

It’s not easy, but effective. Thanks to the #SomethingNew project, I have been introduced to smoothies, learned what Hastings was and then actually went to it. I watched the Super Bowl for the first time and went to Denny’s. I’ve tried crab and my first bar and Huntsville City Council Meeting.

Now, I will concede that the aforementioned activites don’t account for the massive gap in my cultural knowledge, but I am trying. It did not even occur to me that this was a problem until I sat down to write this column.

As I told the others in the newsroom of my column idea, I recieved the same shock and awe that I had seen the night before on Facebook. I was then immediately introduced to Metallica, as I had never heard of it before.

“Why are you telling the world how stupid you are,” Stephen Green, viewpoints editor, asked.

My answer is this: I find it very interesting that I have managed to live 19 years and not be exposed to these things.

Who knows? Maybe someone will come along and teach me everything I need to know. Until then, I’ll just stick to my once-a-day #SomethingNew project.

What’s a Mick Jagger?Kolby Flowers says that his cultural deprivation is the source of much ridicule

- Kolby is a freshman mass communication major and Houstonian senior reporter. You can follow him on Twitter @KolbyFlowers.

“I didn’t know how you could grow up in the 90s and not know who [the Teen-age Mutant Ninja Turles] were...”

Things Kolby needs to experience

(things he has not seen/done)

Movies:Pirates of the Carribean

The GodfatherCasablanca

Gone with the WindStar WarsScarface

James Bond (in general)Indiana Jones

SupermanMost Disney

Field of DreamsBraveheart

The Green MileDead Poet Society

John Wayne moviesDirty Harry

Dirty DancingRock-A-Doodle

The GooniesO’ Brother Where Art

ThouOcean’s #

Men in BlackDumb and Dumber

Shawshank RedemptionRocky

Cinderella ManGladiator

A Beautiful MindAll Russell Crow movies

Lethal WeaponMs. Doubtfire

PinnochioAny Freddy or Jason

moviesThe Breakfast ClubSaving Private Ryan

CluelessSchindler’s List

Fight ClubGhostbusters

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Food:Thai food

IHOPTokyo’sS’mores

Hawaiian PizzaOystersSushi

Music:Metallica

The BeatlesKISSMuse

The Rolling StonesThe Who

Bob DylanBeastie Boys

Aretha FranklinWhitney Houston

Dolly PartonRun DMCAerosmith

Biggie SmallsTupac

Jimmi HendrixBob MarleyDef Leppard

PoisonAir Supply

Jimmy Buffet

TV Shows:Goosebumps

Salute Your ShortsAre You Afraid of the

Dark?Johnny Bravo

Who’s the BossFriends

Gilligan’s IslandI Dream of Jeannie

Angry BeaversThe Munsters

BewitchedThe Addams Family

Goof Troop

*The above list indicates things Kolby has either never seen or could not correctly identify.

Page 3Tuesday, February 15, 2011News

houstonianonline.com/news

In addition, Baldwin, Crawford, Creagar and Mallon Houses; King Hall; Belvin and Elliott Halls; Estill Hall; Jackson-Shaver Hall; White Hall; Sam Houston Village; Raven

Village and Bearkat Village apartments will all see a seven percent increase in room rates beginning in the Fall 2011 semester. However, laundry will be offered as a new amenity, free of charge, in all residence halls.

The university requested the increase to address the impact of cost-of-living

increases, cost-of-goods inflation, the expansion of campus facilities and the contractor cost to meet student demand.

The Board of Regents also approved the name for the latest residence hall, “Lone Star Hall,” which was selected by students in Nov. 2010.

Tuesday, Feb. 15:- Schedule deletions for nonpayment by 10 p.m.- Deadline to submit to the Sam Houston State Review- ROTC Annual Blood Drive for Troops - 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the HKC Basketball Court- College of Business Administration Spring Career Fair - 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the LSC Ballroom- Beto Chair Lecture: Dr. Samuel Walker - 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Hazel B. Kerper Courtroom- Softball v. Texas Southern - 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the softball field- Chinese Film Showcase: “Green Snake” - 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in AB IV, Room 220- Chad Ibison Guitar Concert - 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the PAC Recital Hall

Wednesday, Feb. 16:- ROTC Annual Blood Drive for Troops - 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the first floor of AB III- PRSSA’s 5th Annual Living Expo - 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the LSC Ballroom- Social Networking using LinkedIn - 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. in AB IV, Suite 210- Softball v. Houston Baptist - 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the softball field- Grassroots: Conversations on Leadership in a Diverse Community - 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. in CHSS C070- Trumpet Studio “Show Off” - 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the PAC Recital Hall

Campus Calendar

Would you like to write for the Houstonian? Do you have an story idea? E-mail Associate News Editor Erin Peterson at erp008@shsu.edu to become a contributor.

GOT NEWS TIPS?

Please recycle your copy of The

Houstonian Follow us on Twitter @HoustonianSHSU

Become a fan on Facebook

The Bearkat community joined the fight against waste and rival Stephen F. Austin State last week when it kicked off RecycleMania on Feb. 6 with 630 schools, spanning 49 states, the District of Columbia and Canada.

“RecycleMania is a 10-week competition among more than 600 college and university recycling programs,” said Ashley Baker, sustainability coordinator for Dining Services. “For this year’s competition, we will attempt to take on SFA.”

The competition began in 2001 as a challenge between Miami University of Ohio and Ohio University, according to the organization’s website.

“RecycleMania’s success comes from its ability to use competitive spirit and campus rivalries to motivate students who are less likely to respond to ‘save the earth’ kinds of messages,” according to Stacy Wheeler, Sustainability Specialist at Ball State University and co-founder of the RecycleMania competition.

The rivalry between the Kats and ‘Jacks is one that has flourished under countless football brawls, not to mention a brief incident at a basketball game in the early 1960’s involving stolen Huntsville and Nacogdoches city limit signs. It appears that the rivalry has spread to

RecycleMania.“The main goal is to

recycle more pounds of recyclable material than the Lumberjacks, but we will also be trying to promote our waste reduction and recycling programs while getting the students and faculty involved,” Baker said.

Running from Feb. 6 through April 2, RecycleMania will feature several events, including Dorm Storm, Recyclympics

and No Impact Week.“Dorm Storm is where

volunteers will storm the residence facilities and collect residents’ recycling in order to get more people to recycle and make them aware of just how much they were throwing away in the past that could actually be recycled,” Baker said. “Hopefully by increasing recycling participation by students and staff this will lead to more people reusing

and recycling.”In 2010, the 607

participating colleges and universities collected over 84.5 million pounds of recyclables and compostable organic, thereby preventing the release of 137,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

“Recycling is a simple action to take, but it has a huge impact on our collective energy use. Recycling just one aluminum can save

enough energy to run a television for nearly two hours,” said Paula Davis, Alcoa Foundation president. “Supporting KAB’s RecycleMania is a great opportunity for us to generate awareness about recycling and, we hope, encourage students, professors and the entire campus to take that one extra step.”

By Erin PetersonAssociate News Editor

From RATES page 1

“The security can be circumvented by standing near a secured door and waiting for a student to walk out or in,” said Charlie Albrecht, resident of King Hall.

If the security is breached in this way, it is up to students or staff to report people who enter illegally.

“I will question unescorted

males and tell them to leave,” Rice said.

Female residents interviewed said that males can be found unescorted around the dorms, and in 2008 a female resident of Estill Hall was kidnapped outside the building and was sexually assaulted.

In the wake of that event, UPD hired two additional police officers and increased the number of student assistants making patrols at night. The university

also instituted the Kat Safe emergency notification system after complaints that students were not informed soon enough of the kidnapping and sexual assault.

Residence Life’s current policy is to inform only UPD when a student is suspected of being missing.

The director of Residence Life could was unavailable to comment about the policy as of press time.

Junior Michael Cleveland went beyond a simple gift and planned a series of things for his girlfriend. He recorded her some songs and put them on a CD for her to listen to on her way to work. When she got off of work, he had also prepared a special dinner for her, centered around the countries they would be visiting this summer on their missions trips.

Cleveland said he feels strongly that gifts should always be creative and from the heart.

The heart can also cost. The average person spent more than $115 on Valentine’s Day merchandise in 2011, according to the National Retail Foundation’s 2011 survey. That’s up 13 percent

from last year. Total holiday spending was

expecting $15.7 billion. “I believe that true

gifts are not material objects; my gift to Amanda is from my heart,” Cleveland said. “An authentic gift is free and something that the giver longs to give. The most creative gift is exactly the word 'creative.' If you really like someone, it is important to put a depth of thought into it so that it truly shows how you feel and that you both can share it together.”

Some single people dread Valentine’s Day, but others have co-opted the day to include more types of love.

Sam Houston graduate Lacey Steele has gotten a group of girls together on Valentine's Day for the past four years to get dressed up and go out to dinner somewhere nice. It

doesn't matter whether the girls are single or taken as this occasion is for them to celebrate each other as friends.

“This special occasion has many purposes,” Steele said. “For one, so no one stays home on Valentine's Day thinking they are unloved and lonely, which so many girls are prone to do on a holiday made for love. For another reason, it is so we can spend time together and reconnect with one another, and it shows how much we really care about each other to spend this night together. This year, we went to a Italian restaurant called Grotto, and a lot of the girls are re-arranging plans with their boyfriends to another night so that we can all be together on this day.”

From SAFETY page 1

From LOVE page 1

Kats jump on the “Mania” wagon

Jessica Gomez | The HoustonianREDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE. RecycleMania, which sets 630 colleges and universities against one another, began on Sunday, February 6.

Donate Blood

Giving Back

ROTC Annual Blood Drive for the Troops

Tuesday, Feb. 159 a.m. to 3 p.m.

HKC Basketball Court

Wednesday, Feb. 166 a.m. to 4 p.m.

First floor of AB III

From a guitarist that plays with his teeth, to some of the most original country songs you’ve ever heard, The Dennis Price Band has it all.

This exciting, new country band has been playing for just five months, but has the sound of a country band that’s been around for years.

Not many people know this, but I grew up on a goat farm in a small rural town, so I know good country music when I hear it, and I have to say that when I saw The Dennis Price Band perform last Saturday in Santa Fe, I was thoroughly impressed.

The band was formed by the lead singer, Dennis Price, who grew up in Trinity, Texas. Price has been singing and playing piano and violin since he was just eight years old.

After growing up and going through a divorce, Price decided it was time to follow his passion for music and form a band.

“I always knew I loved to sing and had a passion for music,” Price said. “After a failed marriage I told myself I would never wonder what if.”

Price says he draws on his past experiences, such as his divorce, for inspiration to write his original songs.

One such song is “Standards,” which talks

about a girl who left and “lowered her standards” for another guy. This song is by far my favorite of Price’s originals due to its catchy, upbeat rhythm and hilarious lyrics that all of us with past relationships can relate to.

On top of having a talent for song writing, Price has a voice and stage presence that are sure to delight any country music fan.

I’ve been to several country music concerts and I’m honest when I say that seeing The Dennis Price Band ranks in the top five favorite country performances I’ve seen.

If you want to experience the band for yourself you can on Saturday when The

Dennis Price Band returns to Prices’s roots in Trinity at KC’s Bar and Grill. If you love country music I promise you will not be disappointed.

Page 4Tuesday, February 15, 2011Arts & Entertainment

houstonianonline.com/entertainment

Have news tips or story ideas?

Send them to us!

m e l l s w o r t h @houstonianonline.com

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Houstonian ClassifiedsReal estate Pets

New band, great musicThe Dennis Price Band returns to lead singers hometown for show

Grammy Results

By Thomas MerkaEntertainment Editor

Record of the Year:Need You Now - Lady Antebellum

Album of the Year:The Suburbs - Arcade Fire

Song of the Year:Need You Now - Lady Antebellum

Best New Artist:Esperanza Spalding

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance:Bad Romance - Lady Gaga

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance:Just the Way You Are - Bruno Mars

Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals:Hey Soul Sister - Train

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals:Imagine - Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie,

Seal, Konono No 1, Jeff Beck & Oumou Sangare

Best Pop Instrumental Performance:Nessun Dorma - Jeff Beck

Best Pop Instrumental Album:Take Your Pick - Larry Carlton & Tak

Matsumoto

Best Pop Vocal Album:The Fame Monster - Lady Gaga

Best Dance RecordingOnly Girl (In The World) - Rihanna

Best Electronic/Dance AlbumLa Roux - La Roux

Best Traditional Pop Vocal AlbumCrazy Love - Michael Bublé

Best Solo Rock Vocal PerformanceHelter Skelter - Paul McCartney

Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals:

Tighten Up - The Black Keys

Photos courtesy of www.dennisprice.com

What: The Dennis Price Band

When: Saturday, February 19 9:00 p.m. - 1:30 a.m.

Where: KC’s Bar and Grill, 1110 White Rock Acres #356, Trinity, TX 75862

Ticket Price: Free

Box Office HitsRankings from weekend of Feb. 11-13

1.

2.

3.

Photos courtesy of www.boxofficemojo.com

Lady Gaga took home

three Grammys Sunday night

and gave a show stopping performance

of her new hit single “Born This Way.”

SINGING FROM EXPERIENCE. Dennis Price sings from his heart with a voice that rivals some of today’s biggest male country stars.

Page 5Tuesday, February 15, 2011Sports

houstonianonline.com/sports twitter.com/HoustonianSport

Kats go up, down Men’s hoops move to 6-5 in SLCBy Zach BirdsongContributing Writer

After losing a heartbreaker Jan. 22 to the Islanders, 70-68, The Kat’s looked to redeem themselves Saturday.

However, the Kat’s found themselves in a back and forth game during the first half, taking a 26-24 lead at halftime. During the first half SHSU turned the ball over seven times, resulting in five points for the Islanders. The Bearkats started off shooting only 36 percent from the field.

In the second half the Kats controlled the game and with 12:21 left, led by their largest margin, 51-35. SHSU shot the ball for 55.2 percent in the second half, while shooting 50 percent from three point range. The Kats finished the game with 11 3-pointers, tied for the most in a game this season.

SHSU had a short rest before traveling to McNeese State (14-8, 6-3 SLC) Monday night in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

“(McNeese) is a really good team, very well coached,” Head Coach Jason Hooten said. “It will be an unbelievable challenge for our ball club. They’re 11-0 at home. It will be a tough challenge for us. We have six games left, and we will take it one at a time.”

Patrick Richard scored 23 points and C. J. Collin added 19 to lead McNeese State to

a 73-63 victory over Sam Houston State Monday night at Burton Coliseum.

The loss ended the Bearkats’ four-game winning streak, dropping Sam Houston to 13-11 for the year and 6-5 in Southland Conference action.

McNeese State remains unbeaten at home in 12 games this year. The Cowboys climbed to 15-8 for the year and 7-3 in league play. McNeese leads the Southland Conference East Division.

Nafis Richardson led Sam Houston with 18 points and Gilberto Clavell and Lance Pevehouse added 12 and 10 points, respectively. Antuan Bootle scored six points and Josten Crow had five.

Sam Houston held two early leads, but McNeese State took control after a 7-7 tie to go up by as many as seven points in the first half. The Bearkats cut the margin to three at halftime, 37-34, but could come no closer. The closest SHSU came in the second half was four points, 50-46,, on a layup by Marcus James.

Following the McNeese State game, SHSU then meets Lamar in Beaumont on Saturday. The next Bearkat home game at Johnson Coliseum will be Wednesday, Feb. 28, when the Kats host Northwestern State.

Gilberto Clavell (above) posterizes the A&M - Corpus Christ defense. Marcus Williams (lower left) takes a wide open jumper.

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From LOCKOUT page 1

“We have to improve and will be relentless in our quest. The commitment to our fans is to make the NFL experience even better in the years ahead. With a responsible CBA, we will fulfill that vision.”

Several major issues are to be addressed before a new CBA can be formed.

One that both sides mostly agree upon is a new rookie wage scale. The way contracts and salaries are in today’s NFL, players are being drafted out of college and guaranteed millions of dollars more than their already seasoned teammates.

In the most recent draft, the number one overall pick, Sam Bradford, was signed to a six-year, $78 million contract, including $50 million in guarantees. This was before he ever played one down in an NFL game. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who just led his team to a Super Bowl victory, is currently playing under a six-year, $65 million contract. The logic behind assessing the rookie scale is simple: owners don’t want to break the bank for unproven players, and veterans don’t want to see that, either.

Another hot topic issue is how revenue is distributed to players. The players want a 50-50 split of total revenue between themselves and the owners, whereas the owners want to lower that number into the ballpark of the 40 percent range.

A 40 to 42 percent share of all revenue would represent the smallest percentage of a players’ share by any professional sports union, according to NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith.

Aside from revenue sharing, the biggest disagreement lies in the current NFL scheduling format.

Each NFL season is divided into a total of 20 games per team, broken down into four preseason games, and 16 regular season games. The owners are pushing for an 18-game regular season, and two-game preseason, in hopes of expanding the highly viewed regular season, and shortening the less competitive, and less popular, preseason.

The players, however, are opposed to this format. Following a season riddled with severe injuries across the league, along with fines and suspensions for illegal hits at peaks, the last thing players want is an extra two weeks to risk injury.

“I think it’s going to be tough to convince the players to go through with the 18-game schedule,” said Rhett Bomar, Minnesota Vikings quarterback and SHSU alumnus. “Honestly, for us, the young guys, the preseason is a big deal for us. I’m not for it because it takes two preseason games away. And adding two more regular season games, there’s going to be more chances for guys to get hurt.

“If there is a lockout, I don’t think there would be a panic at first, because it would just knock off some of the offseason, but if things don’t get better by June or July, things would start to get kind of bad.”

Prospective NFL players are in a sea of uncertainty, too, moving towards a completely unknown future.

Even if there is a work stoppage after the March 4 deadline, there would still be a draft because potential players aren’t members of the union until they sign

their first contracts.Teams would still run

through the motions of the draft by selecting players in each round, but signing draftees to contracts would become the tricky part. Drafted players can’t be signed to contracts during a lockout until a new CBA is reached, so until that happens, rookies would be completely unpaid.

The possibility of a work stoppage may play a crucial role in determining whether or not someone declares for the NFL draft. For players like Andrew Luck, the Stanford quarterback who many considered to be this year’s top pro prospect, choosing to stay in school to graduate like he decided to makes some sense.

For others, the reward is worth the risk, and while some would be hurt by a lockout, opportunities may open for others.

“[A work stoppage] would be bad for some players, like the top prospects, but it would help players that aren’t high prospects,” said Victor Carmichael, senior safety for the SHSU football team. “I, personally, like [the 18-game format] because it gives players like myself a chance to get on somebody’s roster. More than likely rosters will expand, so for players like myself, they can get a chance to showcase what they can do.”

If owners decide to lock out players, there would be a ripple effect on the NFL’s schedule of events.

This means organized team activities, mini camps, training camp, preseason games, and ultimately, regular season games would all be canceled until a new CBA is reached.

There have been labor disputes in the NFL before, including a pair of strikes in 1982 and 1987 that

cost the NFL a total of 11 regular season games. But since then, the game’s popularity has reached all-time heights, and the sting of missing out on football would hurt fans for quite a while.

“I can’t imagine Sundays in the fall without football,” said Gerry Squirewell, whose family has been Houston Texans’ season ticket holders since the teams inception in 2002. “I’ve been watching the NFL since I was a little boy, so I have a strong passion for it. There are so many fans and there’s so much money at stake. Both sides need to come to an agreement, and fast.”

Goodell recently said that forming a new CBA to save the 2011 season is still his top priority. He also promised to reduce his salary to one dollar should agreements stall past the deadline, and others with the league have followed suit.

With the expiration of the CBA just weeks away, it seems unlikely a new deal will be reached before then, especially with talks being stagnant. Unfortunately, this will likely complicate negotiations further.

“If we’re unsuccessful in getting an agreement by March 4, I expect the uncertainty will continue,” Goodell told the Houston Chronicle. “That uncertainty will lead to a reduction, potentially, in revenue, and when that revenue decreases, there will be less for us to share. That will just make it harder to make an agreement.

“There will be a number of things that I’m sure both sides will consider that, strategically, I believe will move us away from the negotiating table rather than toward the negotiating table.”

Jessica Gomez The Houstonian

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