In the world of Oklahoma Sooner athletics, Laura Tomes became a household name this past volleyball season. That was easy to understand considering the fact that, as the middle blocker, she led the OU to its best seasons in nine years, was a critical player in the school's first defeat of the University of Texas Longhorns, and helped her team to the Sweet 16 for only the second time in school history. Tomes played with a lot of heart on the court and easily found herself playing the role of the fan favorite.

 

In sports a significant part of individual or team success depends on timing. The running of a screen play in football requires timing--the quarterback must draw the rushers toward himself, the pass must be timed so that the receiver catches it and waits for the pulling linemen to lead with blocks. In basketball the setting of a screen and the use of a screen requires teamwork, timing and discipline. Waiting for the screen to be set and for the ball to be in position before cutting can be the difference between an open shot and the defense's recovering.

 

Super Bowl week is finally here. After waiting for months to see who would make it we have two good teams…Da Bears and the Colts. Being in Chicago, all I hear is about the Bears, and very little about the Colts other than Peyton Manning. But this year's game takes on another interesting turn for fans and coaches across the country. I am not referring to having both coaches being African American (though I think that is long overdue and fantastic), but rather about having two Christian men coaching the big game. The men are truly "Super" men of God and have not been trying to hide it in any way. Football is not their god; it is simply what they do. I think that is super just for them to verbalize it publicly and to live it out.

 

Commitment, sacrifice and hard work are terms synonymous with two former major league baseball players who will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame: Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn. Not only did they make it in on their first ballot election, but also by two of the highest voting percentages in the history of the Hall's election process. These two players mirror each other in many ways. They both played with the same team their entire careers; they both played in the majors for more than 20 seasons; both hit more than 3,000 hits; and both remained faithful to their cities, organizations and families during their careers. The induction will be a well-deserved honor for each man, indeed.