The UTD Mercury

Issue date: 9/6/05 Section: Sports

First, the NHL ended its strike, and now, hockey is finally back on the air. During the league's lengthy labor dispute, ESPN declined its $60 million option to broadcast hockey for the upcoming season. In what the network viewed as a fair comprise, ESPN countered with an offer of $0. ESPN would pay nothing for the rights to broadcast the sport, but would split the advertising revenue with the NHL. Surprisingly enough, the league turned down such a lucrative offer.

Instead, the NHL decided to sign an agreement to broadcast for the next three years on OLN. What's that, you've never heard of OLN? Why, that's the new fancy name, not acronym, for the Outdoor Life Network. It's one of those channels you pass by in a vain attempt to find out when the next episode of "Spongebob Squarepants" airs.

Topping ESPN's generous package, OLN offered $65 million this year and $70 million for next season. Come on OLN, this is why no one has ever heard of your network, because you don't understand the basic principles of business. When one offers $0, you do not come in and offer $65 million. Why did OLN offer so much? The answer could be the fact that the network's other marquee programs are the Tour De France, which is only on three weeks a year, and reruns of "Survivor." Wow, I still don't understand why this channel isn't more popular.

Speaking of the Tour de France - which I love to do - seven-time champion Lance Armstrong is once again at the center of controversy. Tour director Jean-Marie Leblanc told the French newspaper L' Equipe Armstrong tested positive for the red blood cell booster EPO six times in 1999, the year of Armstrong's first Tour triumph. Armstrong has been the target of French harassment for years because of his utter domination of the nation's most prominent cycling event. No positive drug tests have ever been reported for Armstrong before, but rumors have been circulating for years.

As a testicular cancer survivor, Armstrong isn't just a role model as an athlete, he has undoubtedly given hope to many other people coping with cancer and other serious diseases. If Armstrong did test positive, this would be a devastating blow to cancer patients and survivors who idolize Armstrong. He would be remembered as someone who overcame the odds, only to become a cheater. I hope that isn't the case.

However, moving on to a person I wish nothing but misfortune on, let's talk about Dave Bliss. The former Baylor men's basketball coach has been hired as the new coach of the Dakota Wizards from the Continental Basketball Association. When Bliss was at Baylor, one of his players - Patrick Dennehy - was killed by one of his teammates - Carlton Dotson. After Dennehy was murdered, Bliss was heard on tape telling other players and coaches to portray Dennehy as a drug dealer.

The kid's already dead, so why not just badmouth him a little, right? Bliss did this to avoid media scrutiny over the fact he had illegally paid for portions of Dennehy's tuition. So, to recap, Bliss illegally paid a player to attend Baylor. Then, after that player was murdered, Bliss tried to cover up his wrongdoings by attempting to persuade his team and staff to call the recently deceased a drug dealer. What a class act; maybe he does deserve a second chance.

John Madden has been nominated by the NFL's senior committee for induction into the league's Hall of Fame. Madden compiled a record of 112-39-7 and won a Super Bowl while coaching the Oakland Raiders in the 1960s and '70s. However, I wonder if it is that impressive resume that brought about his nomination, or perhaps the fact Madden is the architect of the best-selling football video game ever?

Then again, this is the senior committee, so they have probably never even heard of an XBOX or Playstation 2. As for how much of a role his stellar Ace Hardware and Tough Actin Tanactin commercials played in getting him a nomination ... well, I got nothin'.

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