�make connections sports slipups

N O N F I C T I O N

sundance Comprehension strategies Kit © sundance publishing

In the world of sports, there are small mistakes. And then there are BIG mistakes. Even great athletes mess up sometimes. When the pressure is on, it’s easy to strike out or drop a pass.

But every once in a while, athletes (and even fans) mess up big time. They make mistakes that show up on the TV news. These are the mistakes that sports fans never forget.

P ra c t ic e t h e St rat e g y

MAKE CONNECTIONS

1 read the title. then scan the headings, photos, and labels. Make a connection to the text before you read. remember, you can make connections to yourself, to the world around you, and to other texts you have read.

Sports Slipups

�make connections sports slipups sundance Comprehension strategies Kit © sundance publishing

can a Band Lose the Game? Every season, football rivals at the University of California and Stanford University play the Big Game. But in 1982, the Big Game turned into the Weirdest Game. There were just four seconds left to play. Stanford took the lead 20–19. They just had to kick off one more time and keep California from scoring.

But as the Stanford team kicked off, the Stanford marching band ran onto the field. They thought the game was over. California quickly used the band members as blockers. The Stanford players couldn’t see which California player had the ball. By the time they figured it out, it was too late. A California player carried the ball across the goal line and scored the winning touchdown! But despite California’s quick thinking, the league later ruled that Stanford had actually won.

It’s All in the Hands!Football referees use hand signals to tell when players score or break the rules. Here’s what some signals mean.

Touchdown!

one of the teams has just scored.

Holding

Holding another player illegally to keep them from moving.

Pass Interferenceillegally interfering with the catching of a pass.

Delay of Game

taking too much time to start a play.Stanford’s band rushing the field

�make connections sports slipups sundance Comprehension strategies Kit © sundance publishing

a Really Foul Ball Baseball also has its share of strange plays. None was stranger than in game six of the National League Championship Series in 2003. The Chicago Cubs were playing the Florida Marlins. The Cubs were ahead 3 to 2 games in the series. They only needed one more win to go to the World Series.

By the eighth inning, the Cubs were winning 3–0. With one out, a Marlin player hit a foul ball. It looked like Chicago player Moises Alou could jump up and catch it. But a Cubs fan reached for the ball. By mistake, the fan knocked it away from Alou!

The Marlins stayed alive in the inning. They went on to win that game and the 2003 World Series. And angry Cubs fans and the media blamed the poor fan who touched the ball that day.

Rea d Be t w e e n t h e L i n e s

3 Why did Cubs fans and the media blame the fan who touched the ball?

2 Why do you think the author mentions that the Cubs needed only one more win to go to the World series?

T h i n k A b o u t I t

�make connections sports slipups sundance Comprehension strategies Kit © sundance publishing

a costly time-outFoolish plays can mean trouble in basketball. No one knows that better than star player Chris Webber. In 1993, he played for the University of Michigan basketball team. That year his team played North Carolina in the National Championship Game.

With just 11 seconds left, North Carolina was ahead by one point. Webber dribbled the ball to the North Carolina end. He had a chance to score the winning basket.

All of a sudden, he gave the signal for a time-out. His coaches and teammates started screaming at him. They did not have any time-outs left in the game!

When Webber called “time,” he broke the rules. This gave North Carolina two free throws. They easily made two baskets and won the championship.

P ra c t ic e t h e St rat e g y

MAKE CONNECTIONS

5 Write about a connection you’ve made to the article now that you’ve finished reading it.

Chris Webber

Rea d W h at ’ s T h e r e

4 Which team was ahead in the game?