Post (Athens, Ohio) February 2 2009

              THE POST THE INDEPENDENT VOICE ON CAMPUS AND IN ATHENS Monday, February 2,2009 thepost.ohiou.edu Our 69th year STEELERS CAPTURE 6th SUPER BOWL Barry Wilner The Associated Press TAMPA, Fla. Their Steel Curtain shredded, Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh offense ended a Super Bowl of incredible swings with a final-minute touchdown for a historic victory. Santonio Holmes made a brilliant 6-yard catch deep in the right corner of the end zone with 35 seconds remaining last night, lifting the Steelers to a record-setting sixth Super Bowl win, 27-23 over the Arizona Cardinals. "Scramble right, scramble left, find someone open," Roethlisberger said. It was one of the most thrilling finishes to the NFL title game, certainly equaling last year's upset by the New York Giants that ended with Plaxico Burress' TD catch  with 35 seconds left, too. But this one was even wilder. The Steelers (15-4), winning their second Super Bowl in four seasons, led 20-7 in the fourth quarter, only to see Kurt Warner and the Cardinals stage a remarkable rally to go in front 23-20 with 2:37 remaining. Warner hit All-Pro receiver Larry Fitzgerald in stride for a 64-yard touchdown with 2:37 left. Already owning a slew of postseason receiving marks this year, Fitzgerald sped down the middle of the field, watching himself outrun the Steelers on the huge video screen. Fitzgerald could only watch from the sideline as Roethlisberger engineered a 78-yard drive to win it in what resembled Heinz Field South. With waves of twirling Terrible Towels turning Raymond James Stadium into a black-and-gold tableau  Steelers fans supporting their beloved team, the economy be damned Pittsburgh's offense rescued the title. Holmes was selected the game's MVR i "Great players step up in big-time games to make plays," Holmes said. "I kind of lost a little composure, you knqw, but I knew our defense would give us a chance to make it back." The stunning swings overshadowed Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison's record 100-yard interception return for a touchdown to end the first half. That looked like the signature play until the final quarter, when both teams shook off apparent knockout punches to throw haymakers of their own. Big Ben and Holmes struck the last blow, and when Warner fumbled in the final seconds, the Cardinals' dream of winning their first NFL crown since 1947 were gone. "I said it's now or never, 1 told the guys all the film study you put in doesn't matter unless you do it now," Roethlisberger said. "I'm really proud of the way they responded." The Cardinals (12-8), playing in their first Super Bowl and first championship game of any kind since 1948, lost their composure after Harrison's heroics. They had three penalties to keep Pittsburgh's 79-yard drive going, a 16-play march that ended with Jeff Reed's 21-yard field goal for a 20-7 lead. . And they couldn't get Fitzgerald free until very late. But boy did he get free. The All-Pro who already had set a postseason record for yards receiving and had five touchdowns in the playoffs was a nonentity until an 87-yard fourth-quarter drive he capped with a leaping 1-yard catch over Ike Taylor. He made four receptions on that series on which Warner hit all eight passes for all the yards. And then he struck swiftly for the 64-yarder that put ABOVE: Joel Hawksley PICTURE EDITOR Jason Smith, left, and Khash Zaree celebrate at Lucky's after the Steelers' final touchdown yesterday. RIGHT: Mark Humphrey THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes tries to fend off Arizona Cardinals defensive back Dominique Rodgers- Cromartie. Teen 'sexting' punishable with felony Anna Sudar Staff Writer Cell phone picture messaging can be an easy way for teenagers and young adults to keep in touch, but sharing too much can get them in trouble with the law. "Sexting," sending nude or partially nude photos via cell phone, is becoming more and more common among high school students around the country, including Athens Cpunty. TWenty-two percent of 13- to 19-year-old girls and 18 percent of 13- to 19-year-old boys have taken or electronically sent nude pictures of themselves, accdrding to The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy's 2008 Sex and Tech survey. Sexting usually begins with a young girl taking a picture of herself and sending it to her boyfriend, said Deputy Doug Crites, who is in charge of all juvenile crimes for the Athens County Sheriff's Department. When they break up, the boy will s(end the picture to all his friends. Another reason why teenagers take pictures is to brag about their sexual experiences, Crites said. "Back in the day, they .used to call it 'locker room talk,' and you'd talk about what goes on, but now you can talk about it and have a picture to prove (what you've done)," he said. But regardless of why these pictures get taken, if one or both parties are under 18, they are breaking the law, Crites said. According to the Ohio Revised Code, it is illegal to create, reproduce or publish obscene material that has a minor as one of its participants. Doing so can be considered creating child pornography. That means the person taking the picture and the people who send it are committing a felony and risk probation or jail time, Crites said. Crites investigated 10 cases Groundhogs foreshadow winter weather Anna Sudar Staff Writer This morning in a small town in Pennsylvania, the famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil will be coaxed from his hole to predict the weather.But in Athens, most of the area's groundhogs will be too busy getting ready for spring to look for their shadows. Groundhog Day, which was founded in 1887 in the United States, stems from a German belief that if the sun came out on Candlemas Day—Feb. 2  animals would cast a shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter, according to www. groundhog.org. Germans originally used hedgehogs, but when the Germans immigrated to America, they began using groundhogs instead. Today thousands of people will travel to see Punxsutawney Phil. According to legend, if the groundhog sees his shadow, winter continues for six more weeks. If he doesn't, spring is on its way. For many Ohio University students, Groundhog Day is something they celebrated in elementary school but not a holiday they participate in today."It's kind of a pointless holiday," said Madison Schoephoerster,Schoephoerster, a freshman who is undecided about her major. "But you kind of follow it if it goes along with what you want to hear." Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks and whistle pigs, spend 60 percent of their lives underground in their burrows, but they can be seen above ground feeding on grasses and clover, said Gerald Svendsen, a professor of biological sciences who did his thesis dissertation on the yellow-bellied marmot, a close relative to the groundhog. Groundhogs actually begin hibernating in October and go into torpor a state of inactivity or sluggishness that can last from two to 10 days. In February, they get ready for mating season, Svendsen said. "The groundhog would probably rather see a member of the opposite sex than his shadow," he said Groundhogs have always been common in Ohio, but humans have helped increase their numbers by cutting down forests and opening up the fields where they like to live,,Svendsen said. Although they have some celebrity in Punxsutawney, groundhogs can cause a lot of problems, getting into gardens and burrowing under building foundations and causing them to collapse, Svendsen said. Sam Hanson, environmentalenvironmental health coordinator with the Department of Environmental Health and Safety, said he has received complaints about groundhogs at six different campus locations including The Ridges, the facilities management building and the golf course. When he gets a complaint, Hanson tries to catch the groundhog and "removes it from the gene pool." However, he only has captured four in the last 14 years. Compared to other animals on campus  like bats groundhogs aren't that much of a problem, Hanson said. Christina Stabile, a firstyear graduate student studying curriculum instruction, has two groundhogs living under the porch of her house on Mound Street. Stabile said she thinks the legend behind Groundhog Day is cute but that there probably isn't much logic behind it. " It's just a fun little folk tale," she said. "(Officials) probably look at the forecast before they make their prediction." asl47oos@ohiou.edu fast fact Common locations of groundhog sightings at OU Morton Hall Emeriti Park Irvine Hall Treudley Hall MEN'S BASKETBALL Ohio drops 3rd straight Steve Gartner Staff Writer TWo weeks ago, Ohio had just beaten rival Miami and was on top of the Mid-American Conference. Now, that is just a distant memory. After a 51-44 loss to Ball State on Saturday at Worthen Arena, the Bobcats have lost three games in a row and four of five. "It's been tough," coach John Grace said. "Right now it seems like we're patching holes." Ohio now finds itself in a hole in the MAC East. The Bobcats are tied fcfr last place in their division with Kent State. "When you are playing two of the last three on the road, the margin for error certainly is small," Grace said. Ohio's margin in the MAC the rest of the season is now very small too. The loss to the Cardinals followed a similar script to Ohio's recent losses poor outside shooting. The Bobcats shot just X-of-19 from 3-point range and 7-of-13 from the free throw line. "We had great looks," Grace said. "I thought it was the best we executed late game that we have all year." Jerome Tillman was one of those that struggled. He was 0-of-7 from behind the arc and 3-of-16 for the game. Tillman, who is shooting 77 percent from the line, was just 4-of-10. "I know the kid is certainly trying not to miss them," Grace said. "We need him, especially when we're on the road, to be great." Despite the struggles of their offensive leader, Ohio (10-10, 3-4 MAC) remained in the game. The Bobcats rallied late from a seven-point halftime deficit. With 6:42 remaining, point guard Michael Allen Joel Hawksley | PICTURE EDITOR Ohio's Tommy Freeman goes up for a shot during the Bobcats' 52-51 loss to Bowling Green on Jan. 24 at The Convo. The Bobcats lost their game against Ball State Saturday in Muncie, Ind., 51-44. CULTURE » Page 6 ACTION-PACKED 'Taken' delivers simple, gritty entertainment CA INTHE CARDS SPORTS » Page 4 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Bobcats struggle at home against Central Michigan TODAY Partly Cloudy 37° L 23° TOMORROW Snow Showers H 29° L 13° SeeSTEELERS, Page 6 SeeSEXTING, Page 6 See DROPS, Page 6