Mike Hall is performing tonight in a show of Comedy Wars alumni.

Standing near the MU Columns, Mike Hall still looks like a typical college student. His dirty blond hair is styled to make it look messy. His long-sleeved, purple shirt adorned with white vertical stripes was left unbuttoned at the chest. His sunglasses were pinned to the inside of his collar, despite the bright sun shining over the MU campus.

“Hey Mike, how’s it going? Great to see you!” shouted a female student walking across Francis Quadrangle.

“It’s going great! Nice to see you too,” Hall responded.

The student kept walking, smiling as she walked away. Hall and the woman reacted to each other like they knew each other — like old friends who hadn’t seen each other in years.

“I’ve never met her,” Hall said. “It would have been better if I knew her name.”

That charm and ease in front of strangers is partly what turned Hall from a broadcast journalism major at MU into the winner of ESPN’s first Dream Job competition in the spring of 2004. He is the lead anchor of ESPNU,Napoli shirt, a network that focuses on college sporting events. With football and basketball in their respective offseasons, the network is experiencing a seasonal lull in programming.

“I guess it just goes with the territory,” Hall said.

Because of the relative lack of programming, Hall was able to leave Charlotte, N.C.,Italy football shirt, the heaquarters of ESPNU, to speak this morning with a group of Missouri student athletes who have grade point averages above 3.0. Tonight at 9:30, Hall will be performing in a show of Comedy Wars alumni.

“I think that of all the the things that I’ve done, Comedy Wars is what I’m the most proud of,” Hall said. “It’s something that we had to rebuild when I was a junior.”

After arriving Tuesday afternoon and before his engagements today,Porto shirt, Hall had time to walk around Columbia, reliving his time as a student.

One of his first stops in Columbia was the Columns. There,Sevilla shirt, by chance, he met KOMU anchor Jim Riek, who was shooting a remote in front of the Columns. The two chatted for at least 10 minutes, before Riek’s cameraman whisked him away from his former student.

“There’s nothing like being in Columbia,” Hall said.

The current look of Francis Quadrangle is still disjointing to a student who passes it everyday. For Hall, who hasn’t visited Columbia since November of 2004, the view was jarring.

“At first I thought the new building was going to be there,” Hall said, pointing at the construction. “But if a school is building a lot of things it’s a good sign.”

Hall walked east to Ninth Street to continue his self-guided tour.

“I doubt that anybody will recognize me,” Hall said. “I don’t think that too many people know who I am.”

One woman, driving in a white, four-door car stopped at the corner of Ninth and University and appeared to recognize Hall. Although she didn’t prolong her stop, she looked at Hall and put her hands on her face, appearing starstruck.

Just seconds later, Hall saw that a binder full of papers had blown onto the street in front of Lion’s Choice. With traffic stopped, Hall assisted the male student with his binder, picking up as many stray papers as he could.

“I’ve been in situations like that before,” Hall said.

The student didn’t recognize him. He thanked Hall for his help and went on his way.

The University of Missouri and its multimedia rights holder, Mizzou Sports Properties, signed a five-year deal with Cumulus Media, Inc. to keep the Tigers on Cumulus radio affiliates in mid-Missouri.

Missouri football and basketball games,Retro Football Shirts, along with “Tiger Talk,” will continue on KFRU 1400 AM and KBXR 102.3 FM in Columbia through 2010.

Missouri athletics in Columbia have been on Cumulus stations since 1926, making it one of the longest affiliate relationships in the country.

ROCK BRIDGE TENNIS: The Bruins’ boys’ tennis match at Hannibal was rained out Tuesday.

Rock Bridge held the lead in every singles match, but they were called due to the weather conditions. The doubles matches were not played.

Rock Bridge coach Ben Loeb said it’s uncertain whether the dual meet will be completed.

HICKMAN GOLF: The Kewpies placed second in a triangular golf meet at Rockhurst on Tuesday.

Rockhurst shot a 293 to win the meet, and Hickman finished with 308. Blue Springs shot 328.

Kyle Kovar’s 75 led Hickman. Other Kewpies included D.J. Chung (76), Chris Johnson (78),Sevilla shirt, Josh Brady (79) and Drew Wier (80).

Patrick Roth from Rockhurst was the medalist with a score of 72. The schools played 18 holes with par at 71.

STEROIDS: The NBA and NHL were among six groups that turned over documents about their drug-testing policies to the congressional committee looking into steroids in sports.

The House Government Reform Committee had set Tuesday as a deadline for getting information about drug programs and test results. Major League Soccer, the ATP, USA Track & Field and the U.S. Soccer Federation responded in time, while USA Cycling asked for and was granted an extension because of a snowstorm near its headquarters.

The NFL was given until last Friday and turned in its documents then.

“Committee investigators are reviewing these documents,Bayern Munich shirt, and they are continuing to examine the documents received from the NFL on Friday,” committee chairman Tom Davis of Virginia and ranking Democrat Henry Waxman of California said in a statement. “We will withhold comment until our review of documents is complete.”

In letters sent to the various sports,Santos shirt, the committee asked for information such as the number of drug tests each year, the number of positive results and which substances are tested for.

COLUMBIA The Rock Bridge boys soccer team did not get off to a encouraging start when it begins its season with back-to-back losses last weekend at the Midwest Soccer Classic in Quincy, Ill.

“Every season starts with a clean slate,Atletico Madrid shirt,” Bruins coach Kyle Austin said. “We were disappointed after losing the first two games. Nobody likes to lose. But we know were young and we know at times we will suffer.”

Not pushing too hard seems to be working. The Bruins won their final game of the tournament to go 1-2, then they won their home opener Tuesday. Matt Kelly scored the lone goal in Rock Bridge’s 1-0 win over Rolla that evened the Bruins’ record at 2-2.

“It was the best game of the season so far,Juventus shirt,” Austin said. “We dont have any season expectations yet. Right now,AS Roma shirt, were just trying to improve every game.”

Rock Bridges next game is set for 5 p.m. Friday against Moberly at the Moberly Shootout.

Austin lost a lot of experience from last years team, which had 12 seniors. This year,Paris Saint Germain shirt, the Bruins have seven seniors, only two of which were starters last year, making this years squad much younger than last years.

This years captains are Brady Wulff, Ryan Taylor and Danny Baird and other key players include Kelly and Sam Stoeckl.

If you are a newcomer to archery and have recently bought a compound bow there are several things to bear in mind. Safety is the paramount of any sport and hunting or archery is no different.

The number one rule with anything with this amount of power is: If you are afraid,Werder Bremen shirt, do not use it. You need to be comfortable with the equipment you have in your hands,Glasgow Rangers shirt, and this applies to bows as well as power tools and high powered saws and garden equipment.

The best place you can practice with your bow is at a shooting range, as these will have barriers and guidelines already set out. It is never acceptable to practice on your backyard since your house is too close together to someone elses – you can never be too sure where your arrow is going to land. This applies to any other open area although if you must shoot in an open wood of forest make sure it is away from public footpaths and it is somewhere that people rarely go; even then tape off your shooting area and make sure there is enough roughage around behind your target to catch any stray shots. If you are at a range and other people are walking towards their bull,Porto shirt, never ever take your shot.

Making sure you never harm someone else should always be a priority. Never shoot where there may be a risk involved. However,Paris Saint Germain shirt, you also have a duty to protect yourself.

At all times, wear protective clothing. An arm guard and a long sleeve shirt at the very minimum will help to keep you injury free. If you shoot without them you are more than likely to take some skin off you arm or hand and you will not be able to shoot again for a while. Long hair can also get in the way so you should be wearing suitable head hear or have it tied back at the very least.

If you are concerned about general safe practice with compound bows you should consider taking a safety lesson. These are often free at shooting ranges or at the most cost $10 and you will learn all about the safety measures involved. If you learn the proper skills from the start which includes this, you will be a better archer – or hunter – in the long run.

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Stacey Bradley takes aim on the 10th hole at Perche Creek Mini Golf Course on Saturday. Bradley and her family spent the day in Columbia because her brother’s baseball team was playing in the Show-Me State Games.

Many studies say that aerobic exercises are not recommended because these cannot fully pave the way for permanent weight loss and weight control. However, there are studies that also show that aerobics can bring some short-term benefits like being a powerful motivator, not only in losing weight but also in living healthy for good.

While some physicians say that it is okay to diet for a fast weight loss if the person’s health wouldn’t be compromised or affected, with aerobic exercises,Wales football shirt, there is no need to worry since the person will more or less dictate the phase of the process.

Weight loss through diet can be effective if it’s only used for initial weight loss because this can lead to having balanced diet. But,Villareal shirt, weight loss through aerobic exercises can ensure that you don’t only follow a reasonable eating plan but you also have a regular activity so that you would not regain the weight that you lost.

Although some weight loss strategies are effective,Lyon shirt, it still doesn’t change the fact that engaging into it without preparation is hazardous to health. Unlike when you engage in aerobic exercise where you don’t only have the chance to lose weight but you can also improve the conditions of your heart and lungs through the proper utilization of oxygen in the body.

Boosting the potentials of aerobics in controlling weight

But even with aerobic exercise, there are still factors that will keep you from controlling your weight. Two of the reasons why people become obese are emotional eating and their inability to keep doing an activity such as aerobic exercise on a regular basis. Some of the key factors that trigger emotional eating and the lost of interest in controlling weight include anger, depression, and anxiety that lead to eating more food and being lax when it comes to physical activities.

Experts say that if a person can manage emotional eating by learning to deal with their emotions in a different way, the possibility of achieving weight loss in no time will be greater. Here are some tips in combating emotional eating and the sudden loss of interest in controlling weight:

1. It pays to determine your own mood especially before eating. Doing this will give you a mindset that eating is just an escape so that you can forget whatever is bothering you.

2. Analyze and monitor your emotions daily. Checking your emotional levels daily can help you trace the reasons why you indulge in emotional eating and why you lose the drive to go on with your aerobic exercise. This can also help you fight the urge to overeat when you get emotionally upset.

3. Try to develop new hobbies that will take your mind off from eating food or by being lazy. By keeping yourself busy with other things, you can avoid eating large amount of food on a regular basis.

4. Make simple aerobic exercises such as walking or jogging regularly. Physical exertions can help your body burn unnecessary and unwanted calories. Thus,Bayern Munich shirt, this can help you control your weight in no time.

COLUMBIA The Missouri men’s basketball team is a happy bunch.

After the Tigers’ 70-47 win Saturday against Nebraska, players stuck around afterward to sign autographs, give hugs and take photos with fans.

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Players took pictures with members of Zou Crew, the student cheering group,AS Roma shirt, who had made Valentine’s Day posters. The signs read, “Kiss Me Kimmie,” “Love Me Lyons” and “DeMarry Me Carroll.”

Coach Mike Anderson and forward Leo Lyons, who was suspended earlier in the season, shared a laugh and a smile outside the locker room after the game.

Lyons had nagged Anderson earlier in the season about letting the senior shoot a pair of technical free throws. Anderson gave in Saturday, and Lyons made both shots.

“I thought Leo played well,” Anderson said. “You notice he had a little smirk when he looked at me when he made those free throws.”

After off-court incidents and egos defined last season, the current Tigers have developed a strong unity. Anderson has called his squad “the ultimate team.”

“I think they like one another,” Anderson said. “They want to represent Missouri in a first-class way on and off the floor.”

On the court, the No. 17 Tigers share the ball unselfishly, ranking second in the country in assists per game. Saturday, Missouri had 18 assists on its 25 baskets.

The Tigers used a team effort on defense to hold Nebraska to 29 percent shooting. Nine different Tigers had at least one steal.

For the second time this season, Nebraska crammed its defense into the paint to take away Lyons’ scoring. In the first meeting, the Tigers tried for force the ball into the post anyway. They were too reliant on Lyons and forward DeMarre Carroll.

Saturday was different. Nearly every player on the Tigers roster made a positive contribution. Rather than try to force the action, Lyons focused on other aspects of the game. He finished with his third double-digit rebounding game of the season.

Freshman guard Kim English said the Tigers’ team play on the floor is a result of their close bond away from basketball.

“Our friendships off the court, I always say, translates to unselfish play on the court because we always want to see our guy, our friend, get a block or a dunk or a steal,Napoli shirt,” English said. “It’s just fun to play with your friends. We’re just a bunch of college friends playing basketball.”

Lawrence says this is the closest he has been with a group of teammates during his four years on campus.

“We’re buddy-buddy in the locker room, outside of the court, but in practice we get after it every day,” Lawrence said.

Good chemistry on this year’s team was far from a guarantee when the Tigers entered the season with seven new players.

Early season trips to Canada and Puerto Rico helped the team bond. Spending eight weeks together before school started brought players together as well.

“We just kind of jelled automatically,” English said.

According to Lawrence, the winning attitude of the young players immediately earned the older players’ respect.

“I think these guys are just great guys. They’re great character guys. We knew we didn’t have to worry about them getting in trouble outside of basketball,” Lawrence said. “They want to be here. They want to be Missouri Tigers.”

The team’s shared goal,Juventus shirt, of winning a national championship, also brings players together.

“It would be stupid to want to have 20 wins,Bayern Munich shirt,” English said, “We want to win the national championship. That’s why we lace them up every day.”

Steve McCown emerged from the umpires’ locker room and sauntered out onto University Field.

He took his position a few feet behind third base, his legs straddling the baseline. McCown adjusted his cap and slid his feet across the dirt.

He was ready.

Too bad the players, stadium workers, those 465 in attendance and his two fellow umpires had been waiting for McCown for 90 minutes.

Travel complications had delayed his arrival.

Saturday’s game between No. 16 Missouri and No. 9 Oklahoma, an 8-3 Sooner victory,Bayern Munich shirt, was scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. The start was first pushed back to 2:30. Then it was 3:15.

Before the game officially began at 3:30,Manchester City shirt, the crowd sarcastically applauded the umpire’s arrival.

Missouri players treated the delay casually.

“We did as much as we could to not think about it,” center fielder Leanne Bowers said. “We did a little stretching and lied down in the dugout for awhile.”

Some fans wandered over to the Missouri Relays track meet at adjoining Walton Stadium in the interim. Many stayed in their seats and talked.

“The nice thing is we had an absolutely gorgeous day,” Missouri coach Ty Singleton said. “We’re at the ballpark. It’s kind of tough to beat the sun.”

The game had at first proved to be worth the wait for Missouri. The Tigers and Sooners were tied 2-2 entering the sixth inning before Missouri collapsed.

A six-run Oklahoma sixth put things out of reach for the Tigers, quickly transforming a close game into an OU runaway.

One play in particular spurred the Tigers’ demise. With one run in and none out, Oklahoma’s Kristin Vesely came to the plate with the bases loaded.

Missouri looked to be out of trouble when Vesely grounded back to pitcher Jen Bruck.

But Bruck threw wild to home plate,Inter Milan shirt, then forgot to cover when catcher Kathy Masterson tried to get an Oklahoma runner out.

Three runs scored and Vesely advanced to third. Oklahoma (35-6,Lyon shirt, 3-0 Big 12) sent 11 batters to the plate in the inning.

Saturday’s loss was the first at home for Missouri (27-5, 1-2) this season. It came on the heels of a 2-1 loss at Southern Illinois-Carbondale Thursday.

Despite the setback, the Tigers are off to the best start of any team in the 30-year history of Missouri softball.

The teams play again at noon today.

Columbia- All it took was a lightning strike to charge up the defense.

For the first hour of Monday’s scrimmage,Manchester City shirt, the Missouri football team’s defense struggled to stop the offense. Chase Daniel and Chase Patton consistently marched their respective units up the field, and the defense made mistakes that resulted in big gains. In the first half-hour alone, wide receiver Danario Alexander had two catches that totaled 73 yards after poor coverage and missed tackles by the defense.

Scrimmage stats

PASSING

Chase Daniel: 9 comp., 12 att., 182 yds, 0 TDs, 0 int.
Chase Patton: 12-21-216-2-1
Dominic Grooms: 11-16-135-0-1
J.P. Tillman: 10-16-47-1-0

RUSHING

Marcus Woods: 4 att., 41 yds., 0 TDs
De’Vion Moore: 11-36-0
Jimmy Jackson: 12-30-1
Derrick Washington: 10-24-0
Earl Goldsmith: 8-22-0

RECEIVING

Danario Alexander: 3-79-0
Will Franklin: 4-78-0
Jeremy Maclin: 4-65-0
Chase Coffman: 4-23-0
Jared Perry: 3-43-1
Martin Rucker: 2-20-0
Greg Bracey: 1-75-1

When lightning was spotted north of the practice fields, however, the team moved inside Devine Pavilion. At that point, the offense was beating the defense 27-8. After the move, the intensity of the practice increased, and the defense forced the offense into mistakes. Only time restraints stopped the defense’s furious comeback, and practice ended around 10:30 with a 49-43 victory for the offense. The team used the same scoring system it has in previous scrimmages, where the defense earns points for stops, turnovers, blocks and the like.

While defensive players admitted that the move inside Devine Pavilion helped them regroup, it was the offense that helped them turn up the intensity.

“They fuel us,” defensive tackle Ziggy Hood said of the offense. “We know we have a high-powered offense, and we just try to compete against them.”

Hood said there is a certain clout that follows the offense wherever the team goes. With returning starters such as Daniel,Atletico Madrid shirt, Tony Temple, Will Franklin, Martin Rucker and Chase Coffman, Hood expects records to fall this year.

“We should have the best offense in the Big 12,” Hood said. “It’s hard to go against them every day, but it’s good for us. We won’t face an offense like them in the season, and when we do go against a high scoring team, we’ll be ready. It’ll be a better game, you know?”

Junior Brock Christopher, the middle linebacker and one of the unquestioned leaders of the defense, said the offense casts a shadow over the defense at times.

“We try to not pay attention to what people say about the offense, though,” Christopher said after the scrimmage. “We’re fortunate to be able to compete against them in practice. They’ve got a lot of great athletes,South Africa football shirt, but we’ve got great athletes on our side of the ball, too.”

Christopher said that even though the defense made mistakes that ended in big gains for the offense, he was happy with the level of competition.

“It gets pretty heated out there,” Christopher said, sweat still pouring down his face even though practice had been over for nearly half an hour.

“The offense has got a lot of swagger, confidence, and we try to stop that.”

That swagger is evident at any practice. From Daniel’s familiar strut on the sideline,Birmingham shirt, to Greg Bracey’s constant talking, the offensive unit clearly knows the talent it possesses.

“It gets intense, but it’s lots of fun,” Christopher added.

Coach Gary Pinkel said he was pleased with the defense’s showing in Monday’s scrimmage.

“They gave up some big plays early, but they responded to adversity well,” Pinkel said. “The defense has a lot of depth. We’ve got some real good athletes there.”

Patton lead the offense in passing, with 216 yards and two touchdowns while completing 12 of 21 attempts. Daniel went for 182 yards on 9 of 12 passing. Jimmy Jackson gained 30 yards and one touchdown on the ground on 12 carries, and Marcus Woods finished with 41 yards on four carries. Cornerback Paul Simpson had an interception for the defense.’

? Woods was carted off the field in the first hour of practice after being tackled awkwardly. Pinkel said the injury appears to be a high-ankle sprain. “If it is that, we’ll put a cast or a boot on his ankle,” Pinkel said. Pinkel also said that Temple, who has been out with a bruised knee, may return next week.

? Kicker Jeff Wolfert appears to be in the running for the kickoff job, as well as placekicking duties. Wolfert, a 2006 Lou Groza Award semifinalist, has been adding leg strength in the past months, Pinkel said. Last year, Adam Crossett handled kickoff duties.

? MU coaches had tentatively planned to release a spring depth chart Monday, but decided to spend the evening looking at film before finalizing it. Check ColumbiaMissourian.com for a depth chart later today.

? The Tigers will practice at 8:15 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. today.

If freshman Jessra Johnson were allowed to participate in postseason NCAA bracketing, Duke’s loss to Virginia Commonwealth would have ruined her predictions.

On the other hand, fellow freshman Toy Richbow seemed immune to the racket surrounding the men’s NCAA Tournament.

“I’m just worried about us and next year,” Richbow said.

Johnson and Richbow, along with freshmen Amanda Hanneman and Marissa Scott, will play in their first postseason game at 3 p.m. today in Wyoming in the second round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament.

“I don’t think any freshman is too nervous about playing,Glasgow Rangers shirt,” Johnson said.

Richbow plays the most of the four freshmen,Villareal shirt, sharing her time at point guard with two seniors.

“For the returning players and myself, it will give us a good couple steps to the next year’s season,Kaizer Chiefs shirt,” Richbow said. “I’m just trying to get all the experience I can and learn from these seniors we have left before they leave.”

While Richbow is thinking about next season and concentrating on wiping away any traces of inexperience, Missouri coach Cindy Stein is focused on ending this season on a positive note.

“We’re not looking at the WNIT as a springboard for next year,Atletico Madrid shirt,” Stein said. “We’re looking at the WNIT to win the first game, and then focus on winning the second, regardless of whether it’s a freshman, sophomore, junior, senior playing.”

Stein said she no longer looks at playing experience or class rank. She looks at how hard a person plays in practice and how much she can contribute.

“All of them you can tell have improved a lot,” Stein said of the freshmen. “They’ve put themselves in the position to gain more playing time, if not start, and that’s kind of where we are.”

Richbow started the first game of the season against Southern Illinois and the last game against Texas in the Big 12 Conference Tournament. Against Texas in the tournament, Hanneman played eight minutes, one of her largest totals after battling minor injuries earlier in the season. Stein said Hanneman is being considered as a starter for the Wyoming game.

If the Tigers win, they will play the winner of the Oregon-University of California Santa Barbara game.