Because of strange developments this week, the United States Federation Cup tennis team lost in the first round. This team, made up of a number of the top female players in the country, has been phenomenally successful in the past, winning 17 championships in its history. But this time a battle of egos sabotaged the team.
Billie Jean King, the captain and coach of the team, dismissed Jennifer Capriati from the team this week when Capriati violated a team rule. This seems eminently reasonable at first, but when the team rule she violated was disclosed, it becomes clear that King let her ego get in the way of the team's success.
Capriati was booted from the team when she wanted to take some extra practice sessions with her personal coach. Two years ago King instituted a rule that no personal coaches may attend the team practice sessions and that no players can practice with their own coaches during team practice sessions. This rule was intended to increase team unity, but instead it contributed to the U.S. defeat.
I can see nothing wrong with Capriati wanting to take extra practice time with her personal coach. She is one of the most dedicated players on the pro circuit and, as a seasoned professional, if she thinks that she needs more practice, she is probably right. She had already practiced with the team and, again, I would guess that the additional practice time would have no negative effects upon her play in the Federation Cup. Indeed they may even have positive effects.
Unfortunately King believed otherwise and, due to her stubbornness and the upset loss of Monica Seles, the U.S. was quickly in a 2-0 hole in the best of five series. The U.S. team was forced to forfeit Capriati's match and they were never able to recover.
This battle of egos, even though it appears that King's ego was the only one showcased, ruined another opportunity for the Fed Cup team to show their dominance. King was, and still is, an integral part in the history of women's tennis, but this time she was wrong. King's superfluous team rules are to blame for this loss.
Playing by the rules
The violent nature of the NHL has been showcased in this year's playoffs and, unfortunately, it has led to injuries to a number of star players.
The most obvious case of this physical play, bordering on dirty play in many instances, is a hit by Kyle McLaren of the Bruins on the Canadiens' Richard Zednik.
McLaren viciously checked Zednik in the final minutes of the Bruins victory in game four of their first round series, hitting Zednik in the chin with his elbow. Zednik received a concussion, along with a number of broken bones in his face, and is now out for the remainder of the playoffs. McLaren was suspended for the final three games of the Bruins first round series.
Playoff hockey is played at a different intensity level than regular season hockey and it logically follows that some players will be injured during the course of play. And yes, star players should be targeted for physical play by the opposition. Star players shouldn't be treated with kid gloves, but there is an important difference between physical play and dirty play.
One of the most exciting aspects of hockey is its physicality, which is also one of the major criticisms of the sport's detractors. In the playoffs, the physical nature of the game is highlighted. It is just unfortunate that the boundary between hard clean play and dirty play has been crossed so many times in the opening rounds of this year's postseason, removing many of the best players from the ice for the duration of the playoffs.
Baseball goes global
The emergence of Kazuhisa Ishii and the return to form-if he ever had any form in his major league career-of Hideki Irabu point to the expanding worldwide markets of baseball.
Asian pitchers have generally had good success when they make the transition across the Pacific to the American major leagues. Ishii was the subject of a bidding war this winter and he has shown to be well worth the money for the Dodgers. So far this season he is a dominating 5-0; hitters have had little reason to believe that they will fare better in the future.
Irabu's story is a much more cautionary tale, as his career with the Yankees was an utter failure. But he has found a name for himself as a pitcher in Texas, of all places. He has been perfect as the Rangers closer thus far and, with the Rangers' pitching struggles, he has cemented his own role in the majors. Irabu might be even more proof of the skill level in Japan and elsewhere.
Many Japanese pitchers have been dominant while the league gets used to them but then regressed as their careers progress. Irabu has been able to resurrect his own career and, at the same time, validate all of Japanese baseball.
Baseball has become a truly international game in recent years, much to the benefit of fans everywhere. With the best players in the world playing in our major leagues, with the notable exception of a number of Cuban players, we now can watch the best at work every day and night. Asian stars are proving that talent can come from all over the world and, in the future, I am sure that we will see players come from even more foreign countries. This will undoubtedly make the game better.
The role of Parker
Did anyone see the play of the Spurs rookie point guard Tony Parker in their game three victory against the Sonics?
Parker has played well all year, especially when you consider that he is a 19-year-old from France-a country not exactly known for its basketball players-but it was his play in game three that amazed me. Going against Gary Payton all day long, Parker showed remarkable creativity and poise. Payton is one of the best defensive players in the league, and Parker made him look silly a number of times. One ball fake that he made-you would have to remember this one if you saw it-was particularly impressive, but Parker played well for the duration.
The young players who jump from high school to the pros have been a controversial topic of conversation as of late, but young players can often play in the NBA. I don't see any reason to put such an age restriction on players in professional leagues if they can actually play the game and Parker is certainly making a name for himself in this year's playoffs.