ACC notebook: Chastain still serious about soccer

By Jeremy Evans

Nevada Appeal News Service

STATELINE " Brandi Chastain was the poster girl for the U.S. women's soccer team during its 1999 World Cup victory. She became famous " partly for her success on the pitch " but mostly for ripping off her shirt after converting the winning penalty kick in a shootout win over China in the final.

Although she's longer a member of the team at 40, Chastain still lives and breathes women's soccer, but she remains disappointed with the 2007 World Cup fiasco that saw the U.S. team torn apart heading into the key stages of the tournament.

Starting goalkeeper Hope Solo was angered by coach Greg Ryan's decision to start back-up keeper Briana Scurry for the team's semifinal match against Brazil. Brazil ended up winning 4-0, and afterward Solo let her feelings known to the media. The tirade made international news and upset many former team members, including Chastain.

"It's understandable how upset Hope would be," said Chastain, whose grandparents and other extended family live in Carson City. "All you ever want to do is compete and help your team win. I've been in those situations, and been have been chosen to play and not play, so I have experienced it from both sides.

"But if that decision is going to be made, you have to be a professional. You never call out one of your teammates, and you don't do it to the media. She was wrong on every single account. Even if her emotions were right, she was wrong. There will never be anybody who will convince me of that otherwise."

A teammate of Scurry's on the 1999 World Cup squad, Chastain believes time will heal most wounds. Solo is back as the team's starting goalie as it prepares for Beijing, where Chastain believes the U.S. will once again be the favorite to win gold.

"I think there is a lot of talent ... they have great potential," Chastain said. "I think they'll be in the gold medal game. I think winning (the Olympics) is hugely important because I think people want to put what happened before to rest. Hopefully there will be redemption."

Bartkowski is a true warrior

That Steve Bartkowski has missed only one American Century Championship in the past three years shows that he hasn't lost the toughness that he demonstrated in his NFL career. Since the 2005 tourney, the former Atlanta Falcons' and University of California quarterback has been diagnosed and treated for colon rectal cancer and has had both of knees replaced.

"What I've been through the last three years, I'm just grateful for each day now," Bartkowski said.

Bartkowski had his knees replaced in 2006, preventing him from playing in the event for the first time last year.

"I wasn't really able to walk and play 18," Bartkowski said. "I'm just getting those under me know."

Bartkowski has nine top-10 ACC finishes, including a runner-up performance in 1994.

Lomax comments on The Elite Six

Neil Lomax, Jim McMahon, John Elway, Jack Wagner, Mike Eruzione and Maury Povich are the six celebrities to have participated in every Amercan Century Championship since its inception in 1990. Only Wanger, a soap opera star, has ever won the tournament, breaking through in 2006.

A former NFL all-pro quarterback, Lomax has 10 career top-10 finishes in the tournament, but he's more impressed that he's been playing at Edgewood for 19 years.

"Are you kidding me? It's been almost 20 years," said Lomax, whose 82.7 career passer rating still ranks among the NFL's top 10 all-time. "It's been a great ride, and it's really amazing something like this has been able to grow like it has, through downturns in the economic market and everything else. I'm kind of grandfathered in, and I'm very appreciative that NBC calls me every year for an invite."

Tribune sports editor Steve Yingling contributed to this report.