| New AD's job: Make Biondi's plan work
Wish Chris May well. The new St. Louis University athletic director has just taken one of the most challenging jobs in this region.
The SLU athletic department is at the crossroads. There are plenty of good things happening . . . but there are also many challenges remaining.
First, the good news:
* The splendid new Chaifetz Arena will open soon and trumpet a new era for Billiken sports. The athletic department will finally have modern offices and the basketball teams will have an on-campus showplace to play in.
* Rick Majerus is working around the clock to elevate SLU basketball to the Next Level. Progress has come slowly this season, but recruiting has gone well and the program has gained a higher national profile.
Quote of the day
It is a cut-and-paste rush job to refute "cut and run". It is also a representative document of the Bush administration: evidence is cherry-picked, slogans substitute for facts, falsehoods are sold as truth, and "victory" is promised. Connections between al-Qaida and Iraq are slyly hinted at. The old accusations against Jose Padilla as the "dirty bomber", no longer being pressed against him, reappear. The Pentagon document, eagerly seized upon by congressional Republicans as a treasure-trove of talking–points, accurately gauges the White House's estimate of their ability to assess information on their own. On the day the Pentagon talking–points were sent to the House Republicans, Bush reformulated compassionate conservatism to demonstrate his concern for the continuing loss of life in Iraq.
MIDWEEK MUSINGS: Ramirez refuses to talk turkey
Aramis Ramirez reported to spring training on Tuesday. The Cubs third baseman had little to say about reports of his involvement in rooster fighting other than he wasn't going to say anything on the subject. Cubs fans would be well-advised to see whether all this means he will be less cocky this season or whether his demeanor will be cocksure. Quick Hits would continue with this cockamamie wordplay but has decided to chicken out. • • Former Cubs crusher Sammy Sosa and San Francisco slugger Barry Bonds appear to be battling for the same position in spring training. You know: left out. • • Regarding the players who have taken performance- enhancing drugs and actually apologized for doing so (unlike Milwaukee reliever Eric Gagne), when they express regret, those cynics in the audience might wonder whether the regret comes from using the substances or being caught using them.
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