Asst. Sports Editor John Powell
Powell's Playbook: Movin' On
|I’ve been hard on some teams this year and I’ve been easy on others. And I’ve let readers know a little too much about my NASCAR obsession.
In the world of George Mason University sports though, we are wrapping up the spring season, the tail end of this year’s sports. So let’s take a look at what happened this year and what to look forward to in the future.
Powell’s Playbook: High Hopes
|Recruiting is possibly the most important aspect of college sports. I have seen high schools recruit, but when a significant portion of league funds is divided to member schools based on performance, it becomes more important.
During this time of the year, recruiting is of high importance for George Mason University fans. I assume that most people reading this column are fans of the National Football League and would have watched the Washington Redskins draft the most athletic offensive lineman from college football.
Powell’s Playbook: Coach knows what is best
|There is a difference between coaching and managing, but neither a coach nor a manager can teach the intangibles.
Coaches have to teach the game to players; managers merely have to get all the moving parts to work together.
Now managers cannot be in high school or intramural or club teams because their focus is on teaching how the game is supposed to be played.
You might think that coaches have less to concern themselves with because of how little they are comparatively given, but they certainly have the hardest job in all of baseball.
Powell’s Playbook
|I’ll admit. I was a bit perturbed after watching the clock wind down with only one Mason point on the board. The Monarch fan laughing maniacally in my ear for the entire game did not help either.
A 16-point run at the beginning of the game was, needless to say, disconcerting.
The first half of the Old Dominion game got me thinking, “Why is it that when the Patriots travel to play a decent team, they seem to flounder on offense?”
I was reminded of the pitiful game at George Washington, but at least that loss did not count for a conference record.
Missing Shots, Missing Mo; Mason Drops Third Consecutive Road Game
|It did not look very good for the men’s basketball team. No shots went their way, Old Dominion held a tight defense, and the only point that came in the first nine minutes was on a free throw from freshman forward Johnny Williams.
“Five of our first six shots I thought were really good . . . but when you miss an easy shot, it’s still a miss,” said Head Coach Jim Larranaga.
The Cost of Winning; Mason Sprinter Deals with, Overcomes Obsession
|In his junior year of high school, Rachaunn Ruffin was ranked nationally for the first time in his life. While most would simply find an award of this stature a simple recognition of their dedication, Ruffin took a very different perspective on the new recognition.
When he was young, Ruffin just played sports that involved running. “I just like running,” said Ruffin of how he began his athletic life. “Every sport that I played, whether it be soccer, football or basketball, as long as I could run, I liked to play.”