Shot of reality

CAL SOFTBALL ITEM OF THE WEEK: Speaking of teams on the move, there go the No. 3-ranked Golden Bears, who followed up one of the most painful losses imaginable with a statement game that restored their ultra-aggressive swagger. Last Saturday night Cal was an out away from clinching a 2-0 victory over No. 2 Arizona in Tucson when an error, bunt single and walk-off grand slam by shortstop Kristie Fox set off a euphoric celebration among the Wildcats. The following day the undaunted Bears jumped all over Arizona ace Alicia Hollowell, who seems locked into the same pattern of overuse that caused the top-seeded 'Cats to fizzle in regional play last year. A monster three-run blast over the center-field fence by catcher Haley Woods gave Cal a 5-0 lead en route to a 6-3 victory. Woods then hit her 11th homer Wednesday to cap the first of two 10-0 victories over St. Mary's as the Bears improved to 31-4. With No. 1 Michigan falling to Central Michigan that same afternoon, Cal heads into its weekend home slate against Washington and UCLA with a chance to regain the No. 1 ranking it held entering the season.

CAL SMACK-TALK ITEM OF THE WEEK: Two students at God's University, Stacey Nathan and Craig Wickersham, beat out 179 other teams to take first place in the Cross Examination Debate Association National Championship Tournament last month. Six days later the pugilistic pair finished second at the National Debate Tournament (behind a team from Northwestern, if you must know), becoming the second tandem in the history of college debating to be a finalist in both competitions. On behalf all proud alums, I offer the following assessment of this commendable show of school might:

Word.

TRIPPIN ON E (MAIL):

"Amazing! You reported A.K. could play. I did not think there was anyone in tennis who let the facts keep them from trashing Anna. You noted Anna 'Never Won a Title' Kournikova could play. How can the media totally ignore all her outstanding accomplishments in the late '90s? She beat six players who reached the No. 1 ranking while they were at or near the top of their games. Five of them won a slam within one year of their loss to A.K. while the sixth was a RU." -- Jerry White, Mineral, Va.

All true -- but in this particular case it is understandably hard for the people in my profession, and for men in general, to get past the T&A.

"I would just like to point out that you missed an opportunity in responding to the person who e-mailed you about the Michigan softball team. Just humor me and look up the word 'apocryphal' ... One would think that a truly apocryphal event might not warrant any coverage." -- Mike Oelrich, Fairfax, Va.

Thanks, Mike, for pointing that out. The truth is I was so excited to get a letter about softball that I completely overlooked its nonsensical (or, possibly, facetious) overtones. Certainly, the writer's apparent assertion that the Wolverines' first-ever No. 1 ranking was "spurious ... of doubtful authenticity" seems counterintuitive. But remind me to bust out that adjective the next time I'm in a debate with Mack Brown