The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, July 21, 2004, Page 10, Image 10
America antes up
in poker’s rebirth
So there I was, the short stack
as usual, waiting for a couple of
decent hole cards to go all-in, and
I’m dealt a
queen and a
four, suited.
Those aren’t
particularly
good cards, so I
J auto-fold and de
cide to wait and
try my luck next
hand.
The flop
brings up a pair
of fours, so I had
already folded
trips. The turn wasn’t much help,
and lo and behold, the river
brings up a queen. The guy who
won the*hand had a pocket pair
and walked away with a fairly
large amount of money — my
money.
Like golf, poker is a game that
usually brings a lot more pain and
suffering than it does joy. But just
when you’re ready to quit, you hit
that perfect tee shot, or you get ex
actly the card you need on the riv
er, and you’re sucked right back
in.
My cousin has a quote on his
Instant Messenger profile that
goes something like this: “I’ve
been playing poker for 12 months,
and I’ve been trying to quit for 11.
What a game.”
The popularity of poker has in
creased dramatically over the past
few years. Television shows such
as World Series of Poker and
World Poker Tour have enjoyed
success because so many people
are learning the game.
Vegas seems to be doing just
fine as well. Last Thursday,
Harrah’s announced it is buying
rival casino Caesar’s for $5 billion,
making it the nation’s largest casi
no company.
Although casino revenue
growth has slowed to a crawl,
down from nearly 21 percent in
1999 to a paltry 1.9 percent last
year according to American
Gaming Association figures, the
acquisition is a clear indicator
companies are determined to
capitalize on poker’s renais
sance.
Why is poker so popular now?
In addition to the aforementioned
addictive characteristic, it’s cool.
In the Houston Chronicle,
Marcus Allen was quoted as say
ing, “If you want to be cool now,
you’ve got to play poker.”
Recent films such as
“Rounders” and “Ocean’s Eleven”
glamorize gambling, poker in par
ticular, and those are just a cou
ple.
What isn’t cool about having a
guy named Chris Moneymaker
being one of the best poker play
ers in the world? I don’t know if
that’s his real name, but who
cares?
Wouldn’t it be rad if Joe
Montana were Joe Touchdown?
Or if Barry Bonds were Barry
Boomstick? You just don’t have
stuff like that in other sports.
JOEL
WALLACE
Fourth-year
print
journalism
student
O’Neal happy to be in Miami,
promises NBA championship
THE ASSOCIATE D PRESS
MIAMI — Several thousand
fans were waiting Tuesday at the
Miami Heat’s arena when
Shaquille O’Neal arrived in the
cab of a semi-tractor, pulling a
trailer with the words “Diesel
Power” on the side.
O’Neal climbed out, used a
plastic water cannon to douse
fans and walked along a red car
pet to the steps leading to the en
trance of the AmericanAirlines
Arena, where he pledged that an
other celebration is in the Heat’s
future.
“Remember this — I’m going
to bring a championship to
Miami,” O’Neal said. “I prom
ise.”
The Heat held the rally to wel
come O’Neal six days after ac
quiring him in a trade that sent
three starters to the Los Angeles
Lakers.
ill a ru-minute ceremony,
O’Neal received keys to both the
city of Miami and Miami-Dade
County from Mayors Manny
Diaz and Alex Penelas, respec
tively.
Penelas, who is more than a
foot shorter than the 7-foot-l
O’Neal, stood on a chair so they
were eye-to-eye during the pres
entation.
At a news conference inside
the arena that followed, O’Neal
said he enjoyed his arrival.
“I told my wife when I was
rolling up, I felt like the presi
dent,” he said. O’Neal then
hummed “Hail to the Chief.”
After differences with Kobe
Bryant and Lakers manage
ment led to the trade, O’Neal
said he appreciates the way he
has been embraced by the city
of Miami.
“That has nothing to do with
basketball,” he said. “That’s just
because I’m sexy.”
O’Neal said he looks forward
to helping Heat president Pat
Riley recruit free agents to fill
the roster spots still open —
those vacated by Miami sending
center Brian Grant and for
wards Caron Butler and Lamar
Odom to the Lakers in exchange
for the 11-time NBA All-Star.
Over 12 seasons, O’Neal has
averaged 27.1 points, 12.1 re
bounds and 2.6 blocks per game.
He was attracted to the Heat in
large part because of young
Dwyane Wade, and was im
pressed by the Heat’s surprising
run to the Eastern Conference
semifinals last season.
“They didn’t have a lot of tal
ent on their team, but they had a
great team,” he said. “I wanted
to come to a great team.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Shaquille O’Neal thanks the Miami fans that showed up to
welcome the newest piember of the Heat.
Coaches
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9
“I am a lot better off from the
standpoint that I have more to
deal with than last year at this
time,” Stansbury said. “I return
three starters and lost two valu
able players.”
Like the Gamecocks, Arkansas
is another team on the rise.
Second-year coach Stan Heath is
returning 11 players and likes
what he has for this year, even
though he lost top recruit A1
Jefferson to the pros.
“Going into this season, we re
ally feel this is the first year we
have a full roster, having size and
returning players that were key
for us,” Heath said. “We are really
working hard to prove ourselves
this summer and get ready for the
season.”
Tennessee is also ready for a
breakout season with 90 percent
of its scoring and rebounding, in
cluding guard C.J. Watson, re
turning for head coach Buzz
Peterson.
LSU’s squad will look familiar
as head coach John Brady gets all
but star Jamie Lloreda back.
Kentucky, always a conference
contender, lost five seniors but
will still return veterans like
Keleena Azubuike.
The Florida Gators also have
three big names back in Anthony
Roberson, David Lee and Matt
Walsh, while Alabama and
Auburn’s cupboards aren’t bare,
either.
With the rich getting richer
and the mediocre improving, the
SEC could be in store for another
tight conference race and NCAA
Tournament success. As far as
who has an edge in returnees,
Georgia head coach Dennis
Felton, who has the fewest re
turning scholarship players in
the SEC, thinks it could be the
usual names.
“The best roster of talent, in
cluding their recruiting classes, I
would say Kentucky, Florida,
Mississippi State and Alabama.
Those are teams that strike me
and seem to have the strongest
teams returning.”
Comments on this story?E-mail
gamecocksports@gwm.sc.edu