Pick: Kobe & Shaq — By Kenneth J. Gooden

The rocky seven year marriage of Laker superstars ShaquilleO’Neal and Kobe Bryant has become a never ending story forthe media.

The clash of egos continues as they attempt to prove who wearsthe pants in the Lakers family.

Shaq loves me, Shaq loves me not! Kobe loves me, Kobe loves menot!

Their differences should be settled on an episode of”Jerry Springer,” because “Dr. Phil,” wouldhave trouble separating their personalities.

We are talking about two grown men who have been publiclybickering and criticizing each other for seven years due to theirlack of communication on and off the floor.

O’Neal thinks Bryant needs to rely on his teammates moreand also feels Bryant was a non-factor when it came to Karl Maloneand Gary Payton deciding to play for the Lakers.

Bryant lashed out at O’Neal because he felt Shaq’sconditioning was poor in previous years.

Marriage counselors, head coach Phil Jackson and havebeen the voices trying to ease heightened tension.

The bumps and bruises of marriage have damaged thesuperstars’ relationship to the point where reconciling theirdifferences for the team’s sake would be the bestsolution.

Pick: Nancy & Tonya — By Nicholas Lozito

It takes a lot to get your average sports fan swept up in figureskating (And when I say “average sports fan,” I’mreferring to men).

But a vicious blow to the knee with a metal baton usually doesthe trick.

This was the case in 1994, when figure skater TonyaHarding’s ex-husband clubbed fellow American skater NancyKerrigan in the knee prior to the Olympic Games.

In the words of Cosmo Kramer: “Ye-te-tecatfight!”

And we know how guys react to a catfight &- they watch,laugh and pray for it to end up in a make-out session at centerice.

Kerrigan went on to win a silver medal, while Harding cried halfway through her routine when her shoe came untied.

Kerrigan called the Disneyland parade “corny,” asMickey waved to the children several feet away.

Harding has gotten implants and is working on a career inprofessional boxing.

And the world laughed.

But it makes you wonder how the recently collapsed Women’sUnited Soccer Association would be doing had Mia Hamm choked outBrandi Chastain prior to a few games

Pick: Barry & Jeff — By Jimmy Spencer

Who can forget the image of Barry Bonds choking then teammateJeff Kent up against the dugout wall?

Supposedly the dugout tussle came about because Kent washassling David Bell about a play in the infield and Bonds stuck upfor Bell.

Of course, there is also the rumor that it went down thisway:

Bonds: So you’re telling me that if I come across a bearin the forest, I should not try and outrun it? That’snonsense!

Kent: It may seem absurd, but stay calm and just wave your armsand be loud. You can’t outrun a bear anyways .

Bonds: Oh, I get it. So now I am just a slow old guy right?I”m sure YOU could though huh, you little self car-washingS.O.B!?! F#@% you!

(Shovey, shovey…chokey, chokey)

Okay, maybe it was more the first reasoning than the latter.

Regardless, Kent is no longer a Giant and Bonds couldn’tbe happier. Jeff Kent signed with the Astros because he believedthey had a better shot at winning next season.

Well, the Giants won the West…the Astros gave Kent moretime to hunt and ride his motorcycle.

Bonds and Kent played together for the Giants for six years andtheir clashes were something to look forward to.

Pick: Tyson & Holyfield — By MichaelYoung

Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield reached a new level of intimacywhen Tyson actually had part of Hollyfield in his mouth.

The phrase “I want a piece of that guy,” has neverbeen taken more literally than when Iron Mike decided hewasn’t getting enough cartilage in his diet and did somethingabout it.

Holyfield had visions of the movie “Reservoir Dogs,”flash before his eyes when Tyson bit him for the second time in thethird round of their heavyweight championship bout in June of1997.

Tyson claimed he was only retaliating for Holyfield’srepeated head butts that had ripped a cut over his eye big enoughto fit a quarter into.

“This is my career. I have children,” Tyson said ina voice fit for a 12-year-old boy, not a 200 pound-plus cannibal.”Look at my eye!”

In the days that followed newspapers across the country ranheadlines like “Pay Per Chew,” “Holyfield StillChomp-ion” and “Lobe Blow for Boxing.”

The Real Deal Holyfield will forever live in ear-famy alongsideIron “Jail Cell” Mike Tyson in the annals of boxinghistory.

Anyone for lunch?

Student Voices — Vote atstatehornet.com

“Shaq is 300 pounds and 7-foot. Kobe is only half the manof Shaq. — Jason Montgomery,Kinesiology, Freshman

“Simeon Rice and Warren Sapp have different styles.Without one the other wouldn’t be as good. Both attractdouble teams.” — Cameren Randell, History, Freshman

“Vlade Divac and Peja Stojakovic both have a lot of bodyhair and use European dressing styles to attract the ladies.”– Alex Sigua, Media, Sophomore