Thank You Google!

Whether you'll admit it or not it's all but a guarantee that most of you out there have 'Googled' your name once or twice. I am no different, except that I enjoy 'Googling' my name every few weeks to see if I've been updated.

In my most recent adventure on the Google highway I came across a link I had not before. 

I was published by CBS College Sports! I'm not sure if they were allowed to take my article or not but that's beside the point. 

Sorry if it seems as if I'm tooting my own horn; but I found this to be some pretty exciting news that I couldn't withhold from the world!

Make it a great day or not--the choice is yours. 

A letter to the editor

I've been fuming over the Girl Scout cookie name change for quite some time now, and even though I'm cooling off a little bit, that does not mean I'm still not searching for answers.

When my article was published in JMUs newspaper The Breeze, it stirred up people's emotions--and I was flooded with responses.  

I received e-mails  from people who share my feelings, people who disagree, from those who think I should get over it and grow up, and those who knew why the names are different and wanted to enlighten me. 

I'm very grateful to Jillian Alder, a freshmen at JMU who sent in a letter to the editor to help out "disappointed Sean," with my cookie problem.

Didn't get a chance to read my article, Dear Girl Scouts of America? Scroll down a little to read my story or click on the link to read my rant on the changing name of America's favorite cookies. 

No easy road for JMU lacrosse

The road that the JMU lacrosse team travels this season isn't laid with golden bricks. It's long and winding, and has included four opponents ranked in the top 15 so far.

The Dukes lost all four of those games, and are 3-4 as a result. But all of those games were on the road. 

"Traveling is tough," JMU senior attacker Annie Wagner said. "A new environment, a new field, it can be challenging."

Regardless, JMU expects to meet those challenges.

"Our losses didn't occur because of location," JMU junior defender Jess Brophy said. 

But for the most part, the Dukes have been able to stay close in those tough road games.

In JMU's first game of the season, No. 13 Dartmouth scored with 57 seconds left in sudden-death overtime to hand JMU a 9-8 road loss.

The following game at No. 10 Yale was much of the same. The Dukes led 3-0 early, but a goal by Yale attacker Kat Peetz with a little more than eight minutes left lifted Yale to a 10-9 victory.

"I don't believe in home field advantage," JMU senior attacker Natasha Fuchs said. "but there's definitely a difference..the teams we're playing on the road they're top 10 teams. 

Fuchs led JMU with three goals at Yale, as Madison lost its second game of the season and fell to 0-2.

With their rocky start behind them, the Dukes are trying to build a resume that would garner an at large bid to the NCAA tournament. Despite losing 17-10 at No. 7 Princeton on Wednesday, the Dukes have won three out of their last five games.

The Dukes' next game is in Charlottesville on Wednesday to take on No. 3 University of Virginia. 

Damage Control

I found this story on ESPN and to say the least it's powerful. The true story of 20-year-old U.S. Army Spc. Jeremiah Homuth who lost his right arm in Afghanistan. His passion for family and football has helped him get through the struggles--take a couple minutes out of your day to read his inspiring tale.

Dear Girl Scouts of America,

All year long I wait patiently for Girl Scout Cookies to go on sale. That one day is better than Hanukkah, my birthday, and Super Bowl Sunday wrapped together.

I can clearly remember the first time I bit into a Girl Scout Cookie: I was a scrawny third-grader coming home from a terrible day of school where I spent my recess in the time-out chair. I walked home sad as could be, believing the world was against me. Then, like magic, sitting on my kitchen table was a glass of skim milk and a row of Thin Mints; All was well in the world again. My mommy had put together an after school snack that would forever change my life. For those brief moments, nothing else mattered--just me, those cookies, and not a care in the world.

The fling I shared with those cookies that spring day turned into a lifelong affair, an amazing ride I wouldn't trade for all the Double Stuffed Oreos in the world.

Ever since i was young, those cookies have been there for me, through thick and thing. The laughs we've had, the tears we've cried, and the lessons those cookies have taught me I will carry forever.

Oh the times I've pretended to be sick to stay home from school, just so I could spend quality time alone with the cookies! A smile still comes to my face when I look back and remember the first time I was old enough to purchase boxes all by myself -- I know you enjoyed my $30 to buy new badges, but not as much as I enjoyed devouring those ten boxes. Oh the memories!

Like all good couples, your cookies and I have gone through our rough times. For example, at the beginning of each selling season I must sort out what old cookies you've retired and which "rookie cookies" (as I like to call them) I must learn to love. Then there was the dramatic even in the early 2000s when you shocked the world by raising your price per box without warning from $3 to $3.50.

Change is hard to deal with, but with time I've learned to cope -- that is until your most recent act has rendered our relationship incapable of ever fully recovering.

Maybe you thought I wouldn't notice -- or maybe you hoped I wasn't paying attention -- but I've found out your dirty tricks and I'm going to let the world know about them. 

You've taken my favorite cookie, those "tender vanilla cookies, covered with caramel, rolled in toasted coconut and striped with a rich, chocolaty coating" and spit in my face. By changing the name of Samoas to Caramel deLites you have taken an American Classic and put it to shame.

When I first discovered you had changed the name, it was reminiscent of when I found out the Easter Bunny wasn't the one hiding eggs in my basket, or there really wasn't a leprachaun leaving little green foot prints in the kitchen -- but a million times worse.

In a cookie world where Nabisco and Keebler are the corporate bosses, it is you, Girl Scouts of America, who had stood strong. For eighty years, Girl Scout cookies have been an American staple of what is good. But now you've changed that. Why you have is uncertain; I'm not hee to find out what your motives were for this life-altering decision, all I know is it's wrong.

Changing the name "Samoa" to "Caramel deLites" may seem like a miniscule happening, but what's next? Will Thin Mints become Diet Chocolate Crisps? Will Tagalongs be called Choco-Peanut Butter Reduced-Fat Treats?

Or will you bump the price of cookies to $6.50 a box, sell them daily at local grocery stores and attempt to stomp out 'Keebler Elf' with a dog-eat-dog mentality? 

Girl Scouts of America, I come to you with a heavy heart, with a pleas that you sotp going down the path you have begun to follow.

I wish I could rant on -- I have diaries full of bickeing I want to share with the world but can't -- so I leave you with this thought: "A cookie may be a cookie by any other name; but a Girl Scout cookie is not just an ordinary cookie."

Have you or someone you love been affected by the changes made to Girl Scout cookies? If so, check out their Web site, www.girlscouts.org  or contact them by mail.

Dukes edge Spiders

In a game deemed as "must-win," the Dukes eked out a one-goal victory over non-conference rival Richmond on Saturday.

"This game was absolutely a must-win, four our confidence and our goals," JMU coach Shelley Klaes-Bawcombe said. "And we're still searching for an at large bid [to the NCAA tournament]."

Led by 2007 CAA Player of the Year and senior co-captain Annie Wagner's three goals, JMU beat Richmond 11-10. Senior attacker Emily Haller and senior midfielder Julie Stone each added a pair of goals, while Haller also had two assists. Seven Dukes scored at least one goal.

The Spiders took an early lead, scoring their first goal 1:02 into the game. Richmond attacker Lexie Marrocco scored her first of a team-high three goals by bouncing a shot past JMU senior goalkeepers Kelly Wetzel's feet-it was the only time the Spiders would have the lead.

Moments later, Madison tied the game on senior attacker Natasha Fuchs' goal, one of five unanswered as JMU out shot Richmond 18-9 in the first half.

The Dukes had an 8-3 lead as the second half was winding down, but three unanswered goals by Richmond in the last ten minutes brought the score 8-6 at half-time.

But unassisted goals by Haller and sophomore midfielder Kim Griffin helped reserve the momentum early in the second half and gave the Dukes a 10-6 lead. Richmond again responded as junior attacker Mandy Friend and senior attacker Jenna Hubbard scored and the Spiders cut the lead to two. 

With seven minutes to go, Haller scored her second goal of the game and gave the Dukes the final points they would need to seal a victory.

But not before Richmond made a final surge. Marrocco scored her third goal of the game to cut JMU's lead to 11-9, and with 27 seconds left in regulation junior attacker Allison Furstenburg scored her second goal as the Spiders only trailed by one.

Fortunately for the Dukes it was too little, too late for Richmond. JMU won the final face-off and held onto the ball for the remainder of the game.

"I never had a doubt we'd win," JMU junior attacker Jess Brophy said. "This was a must win -- every game is a must win, especially since we didn't start out as strong as we would've like to."

The Dukes started off the season 1-3 before back-to-back wins against Virginia Tech and Richmond. With Saturday's win, the Dukes improved to 3-0 at home.

The Dukes' next game is Wednesday at Princeton at 2 p.m

Academic Final Four

According to the Associated Press, " If the Final Four were determined academically, it would be Western Kentucky (100 percent gradation success), Butler (92), Notre Dame (91) and Purdue (91)."

Only one school among the four No. 1 seeds in this years NCAA Tournament had a graduation rate of at least 50 percent of its players. To see who it was check out the article by clicking on the link below.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/ncaatourney08/news/story?id=3297989

Alumna back to coach JMU lacrosse

A former JMU lacrosse player, Shelly Klaes-Bawcombe returned to her alma mater as head coach in JULY 2006 after eight successful seasons at Hofstra.

"It is the opportunity of a lifetime for me to come back home to JMU and lead the program I loved playing for," Klaes-Bawcombe said after being named the Dukes' head coach.

A native of Glen Arm, MD., Klaes-Bawcombe came to JMU in 1993. Although she was looking at a number of schools, it was JMU that intrigued her the most.

"I was lucky to have a sister on the team, I really enjoyed the people, it's the perfect location, and it's a beautiful place," Klaes-Bawcombe said.

Beyond the family connections, friendly people and great setting that JMU offered her, there was one significant factor.

"The opportunity to play for a competitive program was important," Klaes-Bawcombe said.

"Today there are a ton of competitive programs, but it always hasn't been that way. Here at JMU it's always been competitive."

As an attacker, Klaes-Bawcombe twice earned All-American honors, including first team as a senior (2007) and second team as a junior (1996). She was honored as a two-time All-South Region and All-Colonial Athletic Association choice.

Klaes-Bawcombe was also co-captain of the 1997 squad that won the CAA tournament and was a member of two NCAA tournament teams in 1995 and 1997.

In her senior season Klaes-Bawcombe set school records for career assists (71), goals by a senior (48) season points (71) and tied the JMU season record for game-winning goals (4). That year she ranked 11th in points per game average (3.94) and 20th in assists per game average (1.28) in NCAA Division 1.

After ending her dominating career on the field, Klaes-Bawcombe took up coaching as an assistant for the Dukes in 1998 before moving north to Hofstra in 1999. She spent eight seasons at Hofstra, three seasons as an assistant and five as the head coach.

During her tenure at Hofstra, her teams were consistently ranked in the national top 20, and in 2001 Klaes-Bawcombe was part of the Pride's most successful season when Hofstra compiled at 16-3 overall record, won the America East championship and played in the NCAA tournament. In 2005 Klaes-Bawcombe helped Hofstra to a No.7 ranking in the country, a program best. 

She was on vacation in Europe when the opportunity of a lifetime came to her electronically.

"I was over in Europe watching the soccer World Cup when I was first contacted by e-mail," she said.

A meeting was set up soon afterward, and on her first visit to JMU she was offered the position. Not only did she graduate from Madison; her sister, husband, and brother-in-law also attended JMU. Even with the job of her dreams in her grasp the choice wasn't an easy one.

"I had to make sure with my husband that it was the right decision for us," Klaes-Bawcombe said.

After some well spent time debating the offer, Klaes-Bawcombe accepted the job, and as she put it, "the rest is history."

Klaes-Bawcombe inherited a program familiar with success, and in her first season as the Dukes' head coach she continued its winning ways, guiding the team to a 13-5 record and runner-up finish in the 2006 CAA tournament.

Kales-Bawcombe's players appreciate the passion that she brings to the game. "She's brought back a lot of the old work ethic that she once played with, "senior attacker Natahsa Fuchs said. "Because this is her alma matter it is apparent to the team."

A 2-3 start to the 2008 season isn't where the Dukes would like to be, but it hasn't affected the way coach Klaes-Bawcombe approaches the game.

"As I see it there are two philosophies," she said. "We can play easier teams, and win early to gain confidence or we can play the best to become the best."

The Dukes play Saturday at home against Richmond at 1 p.m.

Newest Yankee a 'Crystal' in the Rough

I am an avid Yankee fan. I find Billy Crystal to be upright hilarious, and one heck of a fine actor. That is why I am super stoked to see the two join forces; Billy Crystal has signed a one day minor league contract with the New York Yankees and will play in this Thursday's exhibition game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Here's the story from AP: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-yankees-crystal&typle=lgns

Michigan Coach Goes Bonkers

Michigan women's basketball coach Kevin Borseth went on a rant of epic proportions last Thursday, after his team managed to blow an 18 point half time lead. The Wolverines were out rebounded 25-0 on the offense boards in the second half and lost to Wisconsin 69-67. To say the least after the game Borseth went a little bonkers...

Check it out here : www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQdAllQL-kQ