Hamish Knox

sports@op.douglas.bc.ca

Addressing the state of the Grizz

Since we are just past the midway point of the NBA season, I would like to give my take on our wonderful Grizzlies.

First let us look at the positive things this season has brought to Vancouver. The Grizz only won 15 games last year, and at their current pace may reach the uncharted waters of the 20 win season.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim is fifth in the league in scoring and is carrying this team on most nights.

Antonio Daniels is showing tremen- dous poise for a rookie, and should be an all-star for years to come.

Otis Thorpe’s toughness and rebound- ing has helped on the inside, a place where the Grizzlies frequently got beat up last year.

Blue Edwards routinely comes off the bench in the fourth quarter and proceeds to salvage a win for the team.

If Kobe Bryant was enjoying his sophomore year in college (which he should be) Blue would win the NBA’s “Sixth Man” award.

lay has been down

Pete Chilcutt is another excellent surprise for the Grizzlies. He gives solid minutes every night and frequently outplays the “cornerstone” of the franchise, Bryant Reeves.

As well, the Grizzlies are not mired in trade rumours for their biggest gate attraction (a la our Canadian brethren), they have not had a player physically attack a coach and they have not sustained an injury to a key player (unless you count Anthony Peeler).

Now for the bad news. Shareef, while putting up huge numbers offensively, has been awful on the defensive end (witness 32 points by Joe Smith, 24 by Kobe Bryant). As well, he is averaging almost one technical foul per game and constantly throws temper tantrums on the court.

In a way he reminds me of a young Shawn Kemp; throwing down a thunderous dunk at one end and then turning around and walking back on defence. Correct me if I’m wrong, but in high school and college if you walked back on defence, that usually got you a

opinions@op.douglas.bc.ca

MS Cow Rano

spot next to the coach—therefore, if you ran back on defence at every other level why stop now!??!

Finally, Bryant “Big Country” Reeves. Drafted to be the “cornerstone” of the franchise and making ten million dollars this year, he is averaging 13.5 points per game (forget that 41 point outing against Boston, most of their players aren't even 6'10”). I have also heard him being soundly booed when he subs in for Otis Thorpe or Shareef Abdur- Rahim.

The biggest telling point of Reeves’ decline has been his absence from the floor during the last three to five minutes of the game (when the real stars shine). Who is in for Reeves during those precious last minutes? Pete Chilcutt; a backup forward who is getting the crunch time minutes. This is not a good situation for the Grizzlies, who drafted Reeves to be their crunch time center.

It has been an up and down year for the third year NBA franchise; however; things are looking a lot brighter.

ee Play has been up...

Play has been totally grizzly

on ~ coor

Teri Walter

irst of all, although things in

foreign countries are different,

this does not mean they don't have everything!!! I am saying this because of my and other exchange students’ travel experiences with what we were told to bring, and what we thought to bring, abroad.

When I went on this exchange to Hungary I knew that I was going to be entering into a different lifestyle, and I knew there were some adaptations to be made. Simply put, I would have to change name brands of toothpaste, shampoo, types of foods, and almost everything else to the “European Way.”

I was told to bring only the essentials, what I couldn't live without. I was told I would find equivalents for the rest, not

~. Sau f “haare:*"* iy

; ‘Debrecen Clul- _Napo

exactly the same, but close enough. This was useful information, as then I wouldn't overpack with useless items.

Now, Debra and Jessica (exchange students from DC this year) were told much the opposite, or given less information. They pretty much brought a pharmacy and then some. No joke, let’s just say that Deb didn’t realize that toothpaste explodes at high altitudes, and it is not fun to clean toothpaste out of all your clothes. Not that they didn’t think that Hungarians also have to floss their teeth, but they were told to bring as much as they could.

Like in all countries, certain things are expensive, and others are cheap! Views on what is a good price all depend on what you buy, and how much money you have to buy it with. Any starving student can get along in any country, as

David Tam photos

long as they budget!

I figured out the costs of coming back to Hungary for a year to graduate, or going back to Vancouver at UBC for about two more years (if I could get the right courses). Logic showed that coming back to Budapest was the way to go, not to mention it is an experience of lifetime and I would have more fun.

The Canadian dollar goes a long way, especially if you sell it to your friends here. Kidding!!!’ However, they are all interested in Canada and love any type of souvenir! Our money is worth more over here, therefore when something costs a reasonable price here for the HUF (Hungarian Forints), it is peanuts in real Canadian money. I can go out on 2000 HUF ($14.00 Canadian) for dinner and hit a club and drink beers all night. This just can’t be done back home, and trust me I cringe at the idea of paying a cover charge in Canada now!

Just know that the changes in lifestyle vary, and that although we are in a different country and around a different population, life is still so much the same. You just have to be able to work with change and know that life is therefore similar around the world. @&

The Other Press January 28 1998 7