The Oberlin Review
<< Front page Sports February 18, 2005

Outside Oberlin

U.S. women’s soccer coach resigns

Head Coach April Heinrichs, who lead the U.S. women’s team to the gold medal in Athens last summer, has decided to resign. Assistant head coaches Greg Ryan and Phil Wheddon will run the team as interims until a new head coach is named.

Heinrichs had a career 87-17-20 record as the head coach of the women’s team.

Several NFL players franchised

Last season, the San Diego Chargers traded number one overall pick Eli Manning to the New York Giants for the number four pick, quarterback Phillip Rivers, and draft picks. Rivers was supposed to be the franchise quarterback until Drew Brees had a breakthrough 2004 season. Entering free agency this off-season, the Chargers made the decision to franchise Brees.

Other teams still will be able to pursue Brees, but will have to forfeit two first round picks if they sign him, or they must work out a trade. If Brees does not find another team willing to compensate the Chargers or sign a long-term deal with the Chargers, he will be guaranteed a one year deal, paid the average salaries of the top five paid players at his position. This means that by franchising Brees, he is at least guaranteed a one-year offer of $8.078 million.

The Cincinnati Bengals also used their franchise tag, placing it on running back Rudi Johnson.

QBs Garcia and Bledsoe to play for new teams in 2005

The Cleveland Browns recently hired Romeo Crennel as their head coach and he decided that Jeff Garcia was not the right quarterback for his system. After only one year into a four-year contract, the Browns released Garcia. The 34-year-old Garcia will not be released until Feb. 22 due to specific language in his contract.

On the same day, the Buffalo Bills will release 12-year veteran Drew Bledsoe. The Bills will hope that last year’s 1st round pick JP Losman will be able to take over, even though he missed half of last season due to a broken leg.

NHL player to try lacrosse?

After long drawn out labor talks, the NHL season was finally cancelled. Detroit Red Wings star forward, Brendan Shanahan, is considering playing indoor professional lacrosse in the NLL (National Lacrosse League).

Shanahan is part owner of the Toronto Rock, a NLL team. He played lacrosse growing up and has strong support from his brother, Brian, who is a TV lacrosse analyst. “I think he wants to see if he could still play. He did all the drills and I think if the NHL season is cancelled, he’d seriously think about it.”

Female athlete makes news for personal life, not performance on court

Are you reading this because you have a thing for Anna Kournikova? Well you’re not the only one. William Lepeska was arrested on Jan. 30 for stalking Kournikova. On Friday, Lepeska’s bail was raised to $250,000 from the previous mark of $50,000. In search of Kournikova’s $5 million house, Lepeska swam nude across Biscayne Bay. He wound up in a pool, shouting “Anna! Save me!,” but he was actually in the pool of Kournikova’s neighbor, whose three-year-old child witnessed the act.

The 40-year-old Lepseka has a history of criminal behavior. In the mid-90s he was convicted of a first-degree reckless injury for stabbing a sleeping college student in Milwaukee. He was released from jail in 2000, only to return for an eight-month sentence one year later for violating probation.

Savannah State hits all-time basketball low

The Savannah State men’s basketball team became the first NCAA Division I team since the 1954-55 season to end the season winless. In 1954-55, the Citadel was 0-17. On Monday night, Savannah State had an opportunity to win their final game of the season, but lost to Florida A&M 49-44 to end the season 0-28.