Your weekly Royals update

By Josh Martin, Sports Editor

Women’s Basketball — They didn’t

have much luck last weekend with yet
another pair of losses to the Camosun
College Chargers with a 68-36 thrashing
on January 28 and then losing 83-41 the
following night. With those two losses
they are still winless this season with a
0-13 record.

Women’s Volleyball — Lost both matches
against the Camosun College Chargers
volleyball squad 3-0 a piece in both
games. They are 2-9 this season with four
points which is good for seventh position
in the standings.

Men’s Volleyball - The men’s team
couldn’t seem to get a hold of the
Chargers either, losing both matches 3-1
and. They are currently in fourth spot in
the standings with four points and a 6-5
record overall this season.

Men’s Basketball — Yes! The men’s
basketball team came out with the wins
against Camosun College last weekend,
winning both their matches in fact. The
Royals edged the Chargers 75-63 the first
night and then did the same thing again
76-68 the next night. With those two wins
their record is now 5-8, with 10 points

_ and they sit at seventh position in the

standings.

 

NFL Pro Bowl a bit of a no-show

By David Hollinshead

espite the high score, and the
D= entertainment value of any

sports all-star game, this year’s
Pro Bowl provided little. With Patriots
quarterback Tom Brady out of the game
due to an injury that’s been plaguing
him all year, Chargers QB Phillip Rivers
stepped in to the starting role for the
AFC, sharing time with Colts QB Peyton
Manning, and former Brady backup-now
Chiefs starter Matt Cassel.

The three AFC quarterbacks threw
several first half interceptions, and the
NFC took an astonishing 42-0 lead in the
first half, until Cleveland Browns center
Alex Mack scored on a 67 yard pass °
that required two laterals before it got to
him, and he rumbled into the end zone.
Despite this huge lead at half time, the
second half belonged to the AFC, scoring
34 points in the second half. It wasn’t
enough to close the gap on the NFC as
they were able to score 13, thanks mostly
to a Carolina Panthers linebacker who
caught a pick-six thrown by Matt Cassel
in the fourth quarter to also tie an NFC
scoring record.

Washington Redskins comerback -

Deangelo Hall had one of his team’s five —

interceptions and a fumble recovered for
a touchdown to win the MVP, giving him
a Cadillac for his efforts. Now, Pro Bowls
are usually just a vacation for the.players
and an excuse to go to Hawaii, with little
effort put into the game itself, but what
the AFC showed in the first was a bit of
an extreme to that notion, but just when

it seemed like it would be the biggest
blow out in Pro Bowl history, the AFC
scored three touchdowns in a row, the last
coming on a terrible mistake when NFC
kick returner Devin Hester, arguably the
most dangerous kick returner in history,
tried to hand it off to Hall, ending up
fumbling and returned by the AFC for a
touchdown.

 

Both sides were chalked full of

‘mistakes, with eight turnovers in total,
_including five interceptions thrown by the

AFC quarterbacks. Despite this, it was
an AFC quarterback who had the best
statistical day. Rivers threw 17 of 26 for
196 yards and two touchdowns to tie in
with his two interceptions. League MVP
contender Michael Vick, who started for
the NFC, threw five for ten for 59 yards
with no scores or interceptions, and was
unlike himself in not picking up any
yards on the ground.

Honolulu paid the NFL four million
dollars to keep the game in Hawaii
next year as last year it took a detour in
Miami, much to the displeasure of the
players. It is unknown whether that is

_ where the Pro Bowl will stay, and if the

labour disagreements continue, if there
will even be a Pro Bowl next year.

 

Ss Ports,

 

Vancouver Whitecaps looking good on paper

WHITECAPS
eS

 

Alain Rochat

By Matthew Visser

The Vancouver Whitecaps started their
33 man on field trial last week, and
paying attention to the newspapers and
Whitecap’s website, the team is looking
to be shaping up to look like a dominant
force, even in its first season in the
MLS. The Whitecaps have now signed
14 players and 13 holdovers from last
season remain at camp. Two of the big
named signings have been American
international and World Cup starter Jay
DeMerit and Spanish club side Zurich
captain and fullback Alain Rochat. Both
these players will be key to holding

the back line in solid form and keeping
the Whitecaps from becoming bottom
feeders.

The 33 men chosen from the Super
Draft will be fighting for a spot of the last
14 available. And of those 33 and the 14
already signed players, the coaches will
be looking for the man who exemplifies
true captaincy characteristics, as Martin
Nash, who held the arm band for the

: past two years, retired after the end of

last year’s NASL season, previously
receiving it from Jeff Clarke. These will
be big shoes to fill and an even bigger
spot in the midfield as Nash dominated
that position since 2004.

One thing that the Whitecaps seem
to be doing with the selected players
chosen from the Super Draft is picking
young players. Though their signings of
DeMerit (31) and Rochat (27) are two
players who are both hitting the primes
of their respective careers, it is apparent
that the Whitecaps are looking towards

the future and becoming a dominant force
within the MLS. The average age of the
payers chosen from the Super Draft for
the Whitecaps is 22.

Now this could take some time, just
look at Toronto who is in its fifth year
and sadly is still a middle ranked squad.
But what Toronto has done effectively
is bring in talent, local and international,
just like the Whitecaps are doing. Toronto
has brought Canadian players such as
Dwayne De Rosario, Julian de Guzman,
and PoCo product Tyler Rosenlund, in
which is great for the country which
tries so hard to get into international
competitions.

The MLS season kicks off on March
19 when the Whitecaps travel to Toronto
to take on their cross country rivals. The
“Caps will be playing and training at
Empire Field until construction is finished
on BC Place Stadium. Empire will give
both the players and fans the atmosphere
of being in a real outdoor soccer stadium,
with the weather either on their side or
not. For players like Rochat who have
come from the nice sunny weather of
Spain, the rain will be a different element
to tackle. Fans and players alike should
take full advantage of being in the
outdoors, because the game will be going
indoors after construction is finished.

Fans will not be able to tell for sure,
or start bragging, until the Whitecaps
have finished picking away at the 33 men
fighting for a spot on the field, but on
paper the squad is looking good. Paper
however, cannot decide the final score of
a game. Now the countdown to March 19
begins.

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