The Around the Dorm finals are finally here. Last week, we said goodbye to Signal nation & world editor James Queally and Signal sports assistant Justin Jez. Now Signal managing editor Lauren Kohout and Signal sports editor Brandon Lee will go head-to-head in a battle that will declare the official Around the Dorm champion. Signal editor in chief Andrew Grant will decide who gets final bragging rights.
1) The College's lacrosse team is having yet another successful season, losing only two games to top-tier opponents. Will the Lions capture their third consecutive NCAA title this year?
BL: The two teams the Lions lost to were Salisbury University and Gettysburg College. Both teams faced the College in the 2005 and 2006 finals, which the Lions won. Both these matches were extremely tight and could be possible exciting finals rematches. In the end, the Lions will come out on top. Despite a relatively young group, head coach Sharon Pfluger knows the tricks of the trade when it comes to crunch time in the playoffs. I'm sure she'll have her women focused and prepared for every situation. Pfluger will rely on Karen Doane and Toni-Anne Cavallo to carry the offense for a three-peat.
LK: All signs point to yes. I don't want to jinx them or anything, so if you're a player don't read this! But, they are just as good as they were last year and the year before. Sure they lost to Gettysburg and Salisbury, but they always do. Then they beat them in the championships. I have no reason to think that the team can't take the crown again. I was passing the field the other day and one of the Cavallo twins, I believe Toni-Anne, had a steal in the Lions' defensive end when I was passing one side of the bleachers. I tried to walk quickly so I could see her score, but she scored before I could get to the other side of the bleachers; they're so good I knew she would score. They are so automatic now with all their experience. They are used to the pressure situations and they are used to getting the best out of them. The only way the lacrosse team wouldn't make this year a three-peat season is the unlikelihood that they beat themselves on the field. Everyone else they can pretty much take care of.
AG: Both very good responses, but the 2 points go to Kohout for focusing on the confidence on and off the field, as well as the fact that the team probably can't be beaten if it plays up to its potential. Brandon settles for 1 point.
2) Barry Bonds is steadily marching toward the magic number of 755 career home runs, and only Giants fans seem excited. When will he break Hank Aaron's record and what should Major League Baseball (MLB) do to commemorate the occasion?
BL: Bonds will break the record right before the all-star break. He's only 14 home runs away and there is no doubt that the record will be broken, unless he gets arrested for the 'roids. This is all unfortunate news. MLB should probably have Aaron and Bonds hug and take a couple pictures. Then they should find the ball that Bonds hit and have the president of BALCO sign it. This is a very sticky situation. Hey, maybe Aaron himself will take down Bonds with a swift roundhouse to the knees and preserve his record.
LK: Unfortunately, I think Bonds will break the record sometime around the all-star break. He can't break it anywhere but home. Away he will get mainly boos with scattered standing ovations, but at home he'll be treated like a hero. The Giants should give him a victory lap and an oversized banner to put out somewhere in left field. The league itself should give him an actual trophy, perhaps one shaped like an asterisk, or maybe a syringe. All I know is that when he is one away, I won't be watching.
AG: OK, I'm going to judge you guys on actually answering the question and then award an extra point for comic relief. Lauren gets the 2 points here for pointing out that Bonds needs to break the record at home for a ceremony to work. Brandon - while having Aaron and Bonds hug sounds like a good thing to do, I don't think Aaron would ever agree to that - 1 point. However, the wonderful thought of 73-year-old Aaron delivering a roundhouse kick earns Brandon an extra point.
3) Saturday marks the running of the Kentucky Derby, the first leg of horse racing's Triple Crown. Meanwhile, NASCAR continues to grow exponentially in popularity. Which sport is the most exciting to watch: horse racing or auto racing?
BL: Auto racing is more exciting to watch and you can even get inside the driver's seat. People usually don't get into horse racing unless it's the Kentucky Derby or if an amazing horse like Barbaro captures the headlines. NASCAR is especially popular in the South and the Midwest. People are also more likely to watch NASCAR after experiencing video games, go-cart races and virtual simulations. It's more fun to watch NASCAR because of the crashes. In fact, some people just go to the race to see the movie-like crashes. In horse racing, if a horse falls over or hurts something, it's a horrible sight and everyone feels bad.
LK: I'm gonna say that horse racing is more exciting. The main reason it's more exciting is because NASCAR races are 500 laps long. No matter who you are this can get boring, especially when that pace car comes out every half hour. With horse racing, it's one lap with real animals that people have their entire mortgages on. Have you seen "Seabiscuit?" That's why it's more exciting. You don't win horse racing because your pit crew was quick in changing tires and filling you up on gas. You have to train a wild animal. Plus, horses are pretty.
AG: This is a tough one to judge, but I've got to give the 2 points to Kohout. NASCAR can be exciting with the crashes, but other than that it's a bunch of cars going in circles for a few hundred laps. The betting point was good too, because money always makes things more exciting. Brandon, NASCAR is very popular in the South and Midwest, but it just doesn't make the cut up here - 1 point.
With a score of 6-4, Kohout wins the ATD title. My work here is done. Have a great summer, and let's go Mets.
