A New Plan For Peace In The Middle East

There's only one group of people with the strength, skill, and all around brilliance to bring peace and tranquility to the Middle East--The men of "Operation Hardwood II." A group of NCAA basketball coaches and personalities featuring Rick Barnes, Kelvin Sampson, Tubby Smith, and Jay Bilas are heading to the Middle East as part of a USO tour. The Nike sponsored event aims to encourage recreational services and lift the morale of the troops. I'm not quite sure Jay Bilas' analysis of the final four will be able to lift troop morale, especially considering the other kinds of entertainment soldiers sometimes get from the USO. Also, why did they have to choose a name that sounds so much like a military themed porno.

Perhaps the USO should have gotten Lute Olson to come. Olson must be doing something right because according to The Daily Wildcat his basketball team brought in the most revenue in the 2004-2005 season of any team that played in the tournament. The team brought in over $16.6 million, although school officials claim it's merely different bookkeeping methods that gave the Wilcats larger revenues than Kentucky or North Carolina.


The Arizona basketball team was much more successful than the Arizona team that competed at this years Red Bull Flugtag. The Red Bull sponsored competition features teams who attempt to fly their home made flying machines by driving them off a 30 foot cliff into water. Unfortunately for the Arizona team, the competition was in Tempe, home of Arizona State, and the team from Arizona was booed mercilessly from the start.