MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / February 26, 2000

Things to consider while waiting for John Rocker’s suspension to expire…Notice to baseball commissioner Bug Selig: take a page out of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman’s book when it comes to suspending players.

The NHL’s suspension of Marty McSorley for the rest of the 2000 season was one of the best decisions to come out of a league office in quite some time.

It was quick but more importantly, it was decisive. McSorley’s act gave theleague a black eye, but by acting quickly, the NHL made sure the wound did not get much worse. At a time when the NFL is having to deal with twoplayers going to trial for their association with murders, the NHL made a statement about violent acts like McSorley’s – that it no longer will tolerate it.

If the NHL keeps making wise decisions like that, maybe next year it’s all- star game can outdraw the Westminster Dog Show.

Speaking of suspensions, Darryl Strawberry should join McSorley on the bench for the 2000 season. Strawberry has already been suspended twice.How many more chances does he deserve when there are so many other players out there who would love to be where he is at? Strawberry needs baseball a whole lot more than baseball needs him.

Life is getting hard for a baseball purist. There was an advertisement theother day for a baseball bat – two-piece, graphite barrel with vibration control. Whatever happened to ash and hickory? Another example that anything is possible on the golf course. In the firstround of the Match Play Championships Wednesday, Phil Mickelson had a 12- foot eagle putt on the second playoff hole to close out his match against Billy Mayfair. Mayfair, on the other hand, was in the bunker. So whathappens? Mayfair holes his shot from the bunker for an eagle while Mickelson’s putt slid by the hole, giving Mayfair the match.

Let’s see, Shaquille O’Neal is suddenly making free throws and the New Orleans Saints are the most aggressive team in the NFL in free agency.

What, the Y2K bug came late this year? Ricky Williams was stopped for improper lane usuage in Austin, Texas this week? Saints fans can attest that Williams seldom moved left of right when he was on the field this season.

Speaking of bad boys in Texas, it took Dennis Rodman two games to get ejected. He must have been out of training. Finally, kudos to both John Brady and Perry Clark for their work this season.

Both the Tigers and Green Wave are in the hunt for NCAA berths after being picked to finish next to last in their respective conferences. Along withSouthern, Louisiana-Lafayette and Louisiana Tech, LSU and Tulane will finally give Louisiana basketball fans something to look forward to in March.

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