
##2000461 A top-secret computer formula , the RPI , is often the difference between a team 's receiving an NCAA at-large berth or going to the NIT . Its critics think there are better yardsticks-and they may be right Photograph NUMBERS CRUNCHER As the NCAA 's chief statistician , the embattled Johnson is constantly defending-and tweaking-the factors in the RPI. // ONE DAY last May , Gary K. Johnson , senior assistant director of statistics for the NCAA , boarded an airliner and greeted the man seated beside him . Johnson 's seatmate grunted hello back , lost himself in a book and only upon landing noticed the NCAA logo on Johnson 's briefcase . The man asked what he did , and Johnson explained that he was headed for Conference USA 's spring meetings to answer questions about the statistic to which Johnson devotes most of his late winters -- the Ratings Percentage Index , or RPI . It 's a measurement the NCAA men 's basketball committee uses to help decide which teams get into the national championship tournament . " You do the RPI ? " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . jaws dropped from full upright and locked position . For a moment Johnson might have been transported to one of those old E.F . Hutton commercials . " I 'm not famous " Johnson says . " But I guess the RPI is . " Once a cryptic formula known only to the cognoscenti , the RPI has become a set of numbers that will , from now through Selection Sunday , March 16 , dominate the blogosphere of the Web and the blabosphere of sports talk radio . Until he started charging a fee in 2002 , Jerry Palm , the self-described geek who updates the RPI daily at collegerpi.com , was attracting more than a million page views per week during the run-up to the tournament . Says former Big Ten commissioner Wayne Duke , chairman of the committee when the RPI was introduced 23 years ago , " It 's taken on a life of its own . " The NCAA has always gone out of its way to play down the importance of the RPI in determining the at-large entries in the 65-team championship field . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' percentage and 25% your opponents ' opponents ' percentage-is , committee members insist , only one evaluative tool among many used , and it has been relied on less and less over the years . It 's most useful , they say , in separating teams into tiers and in differentiating one bubble team from another . Nevertheless , the RPI has made schools think hard about whom they schedule . Nothing else can explain why Butler , bidless a year ago despite 25 wins and a perfect nonconference record , paid a midseason visit to Duke on Jan. 30 , absorbing an 80-60 defeat but measurably boosting its strength-of-schedule rating . What 's more , for fear that laggards might freeze their leagues out of one or two of the NCAA tournament 's lucrative at-large bids , the Missouri Valley and Sun Belt conferences have been reserving $500,000 of their annual NCAA tournament payout for an incentive pool that rewards members who hit minimal targets in the RPI . Last Saturday such historical postseason mischief -- makers as Creighton , Gonzaga , Kent State , Southern Illinois and Tulsa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nine -- game event designed to give seven mid-major conferences a late bump in the RPI . ( The biggest such bump went to Southern Illinois , whose 66-64 win over Wisconsin-Milwaukee raised their RPI number by .0124 and vaulted them from 67th place to 55th . ) No wonder Johnson and his fellow NCAA statisticians call the RPI " the monster . " However did we get here ? Beginning in the late 1970s , the NCAA tournament underwent a welter of changes , including the expansion of the field from 40 to 48 teams , the lifting of the limit on how many bids a conference could receive and the seeding of all teams in the bracket . As committee members groped to sort out the many candidates now in the at-large mix , they asked the late Jim Van Valkenberg , then the NCAA 's director of statistics , to come up with some empirical measurement of schedule strength . If you think of conferences as high schools , and teams as kids applying to a selective college , Van Valkenberg 's creation was to be a kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committee could use to tell one 22-8 team from another . Photograph THE BULLDOGS topped the RPI for three weeks early in the season , and they continue to ride high despite seven losses . That 's because Steve Thomas ( 55 ) , Ezra Williams &; Co. have played the nation 's toughest schedule , facing only three teams outside the RPI 's top 100 . Photograph BY A QUIRK of scheduling , the Bluejays ' final three conference games are against upper-division Missouri Valley teams . If Kyle Korver and his mates can win them , they should move up in the RPI . Still , this is a team that the polls and other rating systems rank much higher . // The original RPI was based 40% on a team 's own winning percentage , 20% on its opponents ' percentage , 20% on its opponents ' opponents ' percentage and 20% on road winning percentage . But that last factor was skewing the best teams far ahead of the pack , because the elite tend to win regardless of where they play . So within two seasons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ formula became 20% a team 's winning percentage , 40% its opponents ' winning percentage and 40% its opponents ' opponents ' percentage . A decade later the unlikely success of the College of Charleston-the best team in the chronically weak Trans Atlantic Athletic Conference-forced another change . " A very good team in a not-very-good conference could hit league play and have its RPI drop even though it kept winning , because strength of schedule was such a big factor , " Johnson says . For the 1993-94 season Johnson and two math professors again reworked the formula , this time reducing the weight of opponents ' opponents ' winning percentage , which is hardest for a team to control , and adjusting upward the values of a team 's own won-lost record and that of its opponents . In 1991 a geologist moonlighting as a Big Ten newsletter publisher , Jim Sukup of Carmel , Ind. , began calculating the RPI and publishing it in his Collegiate Basketball News . Sukup did a brisk business with conferences and athletic departments , with whom even the NCAA does n't share @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sukup was faxing daily updates to ESPN , and two years later he began providing a weekly RPI to the Associated Press . With the public announcement of the formula change before the ' 93-94 season , several replications popped up on the Web , most prominently the one posted by Palm , who worked as a systems analyst for a bank in Chicago until being laid off a year ago . " We made the big change in ' 94 , but there 's been a lot of tweaking along the way , " says Johnson , who now awards bonus points for such factors as beating a team in the top 50 and assesses penalties for , say , scheduling too many games against teams ranked in the RPI 's bottom half . These bonuses and penalties determine the Adjusted RPI . At its meeting in December , the committee voted to keep these adjustment criteria secret ; Sukup has developed algorithms that he believes approximates them , while Palm simply posts the unadjusted RPI , taking Johnson at his word that the adjustments ca n't be reverse-engineered . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and penalties do n't change the RPI a whole lot . We add them to try to get a little more separation between bubble teams . " Though most of the changes over the years have been to the advantage of the little guys , the RPI 's many critics believe the metric remains biased in favor of the power conferences . They complain that the RPI does n't take into account : Photograph POINTS MAN Sukup would add a factor for margin of victory . Photograph TRUE BELIEVER Palm trusts the committee to do right-usually . Photograph KANSAS CAN The Predictor boosts Nick Collison and the Jawhawks Photograph TO THE TOP According to the RPI . Hollis Price and surging Oklahoma are No 1 . // THE RATINGS GAME // Common sense . Even after the reworking of the formula 10 years ago , teams with major-conference pedigrees often lose yet , because of schedule strength , go up in the RPI . Worse , a team from a weak league can win and win-but go down . There 's something flawed about a ranking system in which a victor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Point differential . The RPI ignores how much teams win or lose by , for two reasons : Anything with a whiff of Vegas to it spooks the NCAA , and the committee does n't want coaches running up scores to improve their RPI . " But you do keep score for a reason , and the number of points you win or lose by has some significance , counters Sukup , whose Collegiate Basketball News has morphed into The RPI Report and rpiratings.com . " The NCAA keeps track of scoring margin and publishes that . " Sukup suggests adding a factor that would reward victory margin , but not beyond 15 points . Home court advantage . " There is n't enough weight to reward road success , though everyone agrees that winning on the road is the toughest part of college basketball , " says Missouri Valley commissioner Doug Elgin , who just finished a four-year turn on the committee . A home team wins about two thirds of the time , and the host in a nonconference matchup is much more likely to be the higher-profile school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on their home floor , " says Morehead State coach Kyle Macy , whose Eagles have lost at Arizona State , Alabama and Ohio State this season . " But once your program starts to improve , some schools wo n't play you again . " Adds Elgin , " If mid-major teams could schedule more home-and-homes , it would be much more fair . Two seasons ago Indiana made its first trip to Indiana State since 1908 , and lost . " Johnson points to the RPI 's early abandonment of the road -- record factor , and Palm says that the committee , having passed over Georgetown last season and Alabama two years ago for their reluctance to go on the road , makes sure to punish yellow schedulers . But no metric can really evaluate schedule strength unless it accounts for where games are played . " The major conferences have a scam going ; says Jeff Sagarin , whose own ratings appear in USA Today and who proposes alternatives to the RPI ( box , page 55 ) . " When you have huge imbalances between home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . " You do n't have to be a conspiracy theorist to wonder about the RPI . The NCAA parcels out millions to conferences according to games won per tournament . Ergo , the more bids a conference lands , the more money it stands to make . With the committee disproportionately composed of representatives of the major conferences ( this season seven of the 10 members are from major -- conference schools ) and the RPI consistently placing major schools higher than other ranking systems , the metric looks like the big -- timers ' errand boy . Counters Jim Livengood , chairperson of the men 's basketball committee and athletic director at Arizona , " Every person on the committee shows compassion to all schools and is dedicated to making our selections unbiased across the board . " Photograph AFTER KENTUCKY , KEYED by the stifling defense of Marquis Estill ( 50 ) and Chuck Hayes , beat then No. 85 Arkansas last week , it dropped from No. 2 to No. 6 in the RPI . But following Sunday 's win over No. 20 Mississippi State , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . // Palm believes that committee members , for the most part , are conscientious . " Of course nobody believes they are , because people are so cynical , " says Palm , who began calculating the RPI to better understand the selection process . " But only once has my faith been shaken : In 1999 New Mexico got in when it had beaten only one good team No. 7 Arizona all year , had a bad record in the Western Athletic Conference and was 74th in the RPI-the worst RPI to get an at-large bid since I started doing this . " Johnson is forever reminding people that the RPI is n't designed to predict games , as some people do with the Sagarin Ratings . " It 's a tool to help the committee , " he says . " If the RPI were a say-all , there 'd be no need for a committee " Nonetheless , he 's currently tabletopping yet another improvement to the formula -- though he wo n't say exactly what . Until the RPI is perfected , Sukup and Palm hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I get , ' You must be an Indiana fan , because you rate them so high , ' " Palm says . " I hate Indiana . I went to Purdue . " Says Sukup , who holds degrees from Indiana and Wyoming , " A couple of years ago someone from either Auburn or Alabama told me I could shove the RPI up my Yankee you-know-what . " On his next flight south , Gary Johnson may want to check that NCAA briefcase curbside . A SWEETER SCIENCE ? By factoring in the game 's complexities , Jeff Sagarin says his formulas improve on the RPI AFTER A SPATE of upsets broke open the NCAA tournament in 1986 , including Cleveland State 's victory over Indiana and Arkansas-Little Rock 's win over Notre Dame , an NCAA basketball committee member told a reporter , " You can throw these computer ratings in the garbage . " After reading that passage at home in Bloomington , Ind. , Jeff Sagarin bolted for the phone . He called the committee member to point out that his ratings had Cleveland State 20th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lower . The member instantly apologized . " You 're the only reason we took Cleveland State , " he confessed to Sagarin . " They should have put you in uniform on their bench . " Better yet , the committee should put Sagarin in its conference room . Using a math degree from MIT and an M.B.A . in quantitative analysis from Indiana , he has designed the most widely respected system for gauging the relative strengths of teams and their schedules . And he 's quick to credit the man who inspired a crucial part of his formula , the author of Sagarin 's much-thumbed copy of The Rating of Chessplayers Past and Present-Arpad Elo , a Hungarian emigre physicist who died in 1992 . After he began playing competitive chess , Elo noticed that it was possible to rise in the rankings despite losing and fall even if you won-precisely the anomaly that leaves so many fans baffled by the RPI . So in the 1950s he came up with a ranking system that foreclosed that possibility and struck a better balance between whom you played and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Elo 's system predicted almost exactly the number of games by which Bobby Fischer beat Boris Spassky in their 1972 face-off . Click on the Men 's Ratings link at **27;945;TOOLONG , and you 'll find three columns of information . One is Sagarin 's adaptation of the Elo chess-rating system . Another is Sagarin 's Predictor , a ranking based solely on point differential . ( He also calls this White Owl or Rheingold because it 's the column the cigar-chewing , beer-quaffing sharpies check out : Subtract the lesser team 's figure from the better team 's , adjust several points for the home court , and you have an instant line . ) The third is the set of numbers that receives the most attention , his composite ratings , which weigh won-lost record and point differential equally . ( The ratings are also published each Thursday in USA Today . ) Sagarin understands why a system based on points would give the gambling-averse NCAA the heebie-jeebies . That 's why he proposes that his adaptation of Elo stand in for the RPI . Elo does n't take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is little significance to whether you win quickly or not ; sometimes a player will sacrifice a queen to the larger objective of winning a game . Elo also recognizes that the higher -- ranked team should win , so its ranking ought to rise less when it does . Conversely , the lower-ranked team should lose , so its ranking ought to fall less when it does . These brakes above and below give Sagarin 's Elo a certain stability and guard against the stratification between the power leagues and everyone else that mars the RPI as the season progresses . Most of all , Elo improves on the RPI by giving a win on the road more value than a victory at home -- because home teams win 67% of the time . Over the 28 seasons Sagarin has analyzed the NCAA men 's basketball rankings , the RPI has outperformed Elo only six times in forecasting how teams would do in postseason play . ( Sagarin 's composite fared even better , losing to the RPI four times ; White Owl did best of all , losing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing , " says Jim Sukup of The RPI Report , So apparently does the basketball committee , which since 1984 has requested his ratings for use during its deliberations . Sagarin says a member once told him that the committee likes his composite numbers precisely because they account for scores- " though , " the committee member added , " we ca n't say that . " " If I were czar of the NCAA , I 'd use Elo , " Sagarin says . " It 's not like I 'm suggesting affirmative action for the small conferences . But the way the RPI is set up , it 's like telling a kid in a ghetto high school , ' No matter what you get on your SATs , you ca n't go to college . ' " -A.W . Photograph ELO-MENTARY Sagarin has applied the rationale of world-class chess to hoops . Photograph SOMETIMES , YOU CAN LOSE FOR WINNING As the cases of Alabama and Butler prove , it 's not just how you play , it 's whom you play TO ILLUSTRATE how the RPI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of low-profile leagues , take a look at Alabama and Butler , which began January with nearly identical records ( Alabama was 9-1 , Butler 10-1 ) and with RPI ratings of .6225 ( ranked No. 25 ) and .5922 ( No. 49 ) , respectively . Since then , as of Monday the Crimson Tide had gone 6-7 , but its RPI had suffered only a gentle net decline , to .6134 ( No. 23 ) . The Bulldogs , on the other hand , had gone 11-3 during that span , yet they 'd lost ground in the RPI , to .5839 ( though their ranking had improved , to No. 40 ) . This despite a brief jump after an 80-60 loss at Duke on Jan. 30 , pointing out the importance of a team 's nonconference schedule . The Bulldogs are members of the Horizon League , which was 14th in the RPI conference ratings through Sunday ( to No . I for Alabama 's SEC ) , and their RPI will probably continue to sink , mostly because of their conference 's relative weakness . Worse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nonleague schedule . " Butler 's not going to get a power team to come to Indianapolis to play them , because there 's a real probability of losing , " says Jim Sukup , who produces The RPI Report . Last year the Bulldogs had nonconference wins over Indiana , Purdue , Washington and usually strong Ball State , finished first in the Horizon and completed the regular season 25-5 . After being upset in the first round of the Horizon tournament , however , Butler sat at No. 77 in the RPI and was shut out of the NCAA tournament . If the Bulldogs want to make sure the same scenario does n't play out this March , they had better win the conference tournament-or arrange to lose to Duke every week . -A.W. // WHAT 'S BEHIND THE NUMBERS Sidebar " The major conferences have a scam going , " says Sagarin . " When you have HUGE IMBALANCES between home and away games , it 's irrational to ignore them . " // <p> 
##2000467 Spring training always inspires optimism and a sense of boundless possibility , but the Headnote opening of baseball 's field of dreams has never been more welcome than it is this year Photograph THE MORE THINGS CHANGE .... Like their Brooklyn forebears , who hit the ground running 55 years ago , the Dodgers gathered in Vero Beach last week . Photograph THE MORE THINGS CHANGE .... Like their Brooklyn forebears , who hit the ground running 55 years ago , the Dodgers gathered in Vero Beach last week . Photograph STAR ATTRACTION In 1954 the Yankees were coming off five straight World Series championships , and no player was more popular around the Bombers ' St. Petersburg camp than Mickey Mantle . Photograph PRESSING SITUATION Hideki Matsui 's presence in Tampa has caused a stir-even by Yankees standards . The slugger holds daily press conferences , mostly to accommodate the throng of Japanese reporters . // HOPE , ARISTOTLE divined , is the dream of a waking man . America , at midwinter in a post-9/11 world , challenged that notion last week . Hundreds of bits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bible Belt . Duct tape , the classic punch line of handyman humor , suddenly became a serious staple of civilian defense against dirty bombs that might come from unknown agents of war . And the words weapons of mass destruction rolled too easily off the tongue , included in the foreboding drumbeat of news from the Middle and Far East . While much of the country listened for diversionary sounds of encouragement , the too-familiar scrape of a snow shovel upon the driveway or the chattering of teeth against February 's chill only mired them in a deeper state of blue . And just then , last Friday , on Valentine 's Day morning as it happened , hope , as Aristotle knew it , made its presence felt in Mesa , Ariz . The Chicago Cubs ' pitchers , whose degree of wakefulness in recent years could be questioned by philosophers of absolutely no repute , began their first workout of spring training . Hey , with hope-as with love , charity and a good full-bodied red wine-no helping is too modest or too insignificant to nourish the spirit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Cubs climbed a conjoined strand of mounds and , before tossing baseballs , began snapping hand towels . The pitchers held the towels in their throwing hands , wound up as if delivering a pitch and , without letting go of the cotton cloth , snapped it on the mitt of a kneeling catcher at the foot of the mound . The towel snapped only when the pitcher properly extended his arm motion . It was one of those crazy sights you see only in spring training . What a fitting start : the Cubs actually working on throwing in the towel . This is the 95th consecutive year that they will try to win the franchise 's third world championship . Oh for 94 is n't a slump . It 's a legacy . It is the DNA of this franchise . The Cubs treat a fan 's heart the way Lucy handles the football for Charlie Brown 's placekicking . " In all my years in baseball , " said new manager Dusty Baker , teeing it up , " I 've never seen a group of stud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " . . . hard throwers . Baker , you might recall , last season managed the San Francisco Giants , who led the clinching game of the World Series by five runs-and lost . No team , not even the Cubbies , had ever done that . If baseball is but a diversion anyway , nothing sends us down the rabbit hole of possibilities more than spring training . And the good news-Lord knows we 'll take any dose of it these days-is that spring training , which inspired mostly fear and loathing a year ago , once again is worthy of all the hope we can muster . Last spring played out darkly under the threat of a looming work stoppage that many feared might wipe out the 2003 season , too . And even if baseball did play the full schedule , commissioner Bud Selig , like the Grinch who stole Christmas , had drained hope from the season before it began with his constant bleatings about " competitive balance " warning us that only a handful of rich teams could win the World Series . Teams without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to eliminate two of them and had support from other owners to get rid of more . Photograph SAY-HEY SERENADE Willie Mays , 20 and fresh off his Rookie of the Year season , made sweet music in the Giants ' Phoenix camp in 1952 . Photograph WELL-ARMED Though he 's fighting almost a century of futility , new Cubs manager Dusty Baker likes his young , hard-throwing pitchers. // Of course , because baseball has the regenerative powers of a salamander 's tail , the improbable happened . First , owners and players signed off on a four-year labor agreement last August , ensuring a run of 11 uninterrupted seasons for the first time since Curt Flood challenged the reserve clause in 1970 . And then the Anaheim Angels , a Disneyfied version of the Cubs , won the first world championship in their 41-year history . The Angels did so with a $62 million payroll , less than half of what their first-round playoff victims , the New York Yankees , spent and less than 13 other clubs , as well . Moreover , Anaheim had won only 75 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first place . The Grinch suddenly had nothing to say . Competitive balance ? The baseball world turns over faster than ever these days . Consider : * 1ix different National League teams reached the World Series in the past six years , the first time that 's happened since 1986 through ' 91. * 1ach of the last two world champions ( the Angels and the Arizona Diamondbacks ) had never won a World Series , the first time that 's happened in back-to-back seasons since 1923 ( Yankees ) and 124 ( Washington Nationals ) . * 1en of the last 30 teams to reach the World Series did so after finishing the previous year with a losing record . * 1ix of the last 15 world champions won the Series the year after a losing season . In the first 83 World Series only seven teams fashioned that kind of turnaround . That 's why even the Cubs , winners of only 67 games last year , can see October all the way from Arizona . The commissioner should have sounded more like Updike than Seuss : " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not incite us to have them . ' That 's why fans in Detroit could practically use their newspaper to melt the ice on their front steps , so warm was this recent boldface greeting : TIGERS START CLIMB TO RESPECTABILITY . Only a cynic would remind you that the Tigers lost 106 games last season , then shed their best hitter , their only All-Star , their closer and their best starting pitcher . Is there a better place to dream than in the light and color of Florida and Arizona in February and March ? Into the brightness in Fort Myers , Fla. , for instance , lobster-faced faithful fresh from New England 's winter gloom quite literally have to squint to see their Red Sox . They are essentially Cubs fans without the sense of humor , but it is damned hard to be a Calvinist when you 're wearing a Hawaiian shirt and have a paper umbrella in your drink . Photograph SEE CHARLIE HUSTLE The Reds ' Pete Rose ( 14 ) was hot out of the blocks in the spring of 1972 as he geared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ league in hits for the fourth time and bat better than .300 for the eighth year in a row . Photograph HIP , HIP Before working out in Clearwater , Fla. , last week , Phillies players went through a mobility exercise in which they step over hurdles at slow speed to warm up their hip joints . Photograph Coming ATTRACTIONS With a solid spring , these five prospects could be in lineups on Opening Day VICTOR MARTINEZ , C , INDIANS In 454 career minor league games , the switch -- hitting Martinez , 24 , has more walks ( 210 ) than strikeouts ( 189 ) . He was the MVP in the Class A Carolina League ( 2001 ) and Double A Eastern League ( ' 02 ) , prompting Cleveland G.M. Mark Shapiro to say , " We feel he 's going to be an All-Star . " If Martinez refines his mechanics behind the plate in spring training , he could be Cleveland 's Opening Day backstop . MARK TEIXEIRA , 3B , RANGERS Teixeira , 22 , is regarded as the best hitting prospect in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 220 pounds ) switch-hitter with premium power , impressive plate discipline and the ability to make consistent contact . His emergence has forced Flank Blalock , another well-regarded 22-year-old third base prospect for the Rangers , to take ground balls at second base this spring . ( Teixeira will also try his hand at first base . ) JESSE FOPPERT , RHP , GIANTS Only 20 months after being drafted in the second round out of the University of San Francisco , this 22-year-old with a mid-90s fastball is competing for a spot in the Giants rotation . Foppert blew through three minor league levels over the past two years , finishing 2002 in Triple A , where he had 14 starts and fanned 109 batters in 79 innings . His stuff may be good enough to overcome his lack of experience . JOSE REYES , SS , METS Even though he 's only 19 , Reyes might be the Mets ' shortstop on Opening Day ; otherwise he 'll start the year at Triple A. The young Dominican is a slashing switch-hitter with speed ( the Mets think he has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ player waiting to happen . The only question is when . LYLE OVERBAY , 1B , DIAMONDBACKS When Arizona traded power-hitting first baseman Erubiel Durazo to the As in December , slashing payroll was n't the only thing it had in mind : Overbay , 26 , has developed into a prized prospect . While Durazo may blast more home runs , the lefthanded Overbay ( who hit 19 in the best of his four minor league seasons ) is a hitting machine with gap power who has n't batted less than .332 as a pro . // Spring training is the perfect place for renewal . Only Washington , D.C. , the capital of our nation and of reinventing oneself , has more plastic surgeons per capita than Florida . ( Arizona ranks ninth in the nip-and-tuck battle . ) Four hundred and ninety years after Ponce de Leon reported to Florida , 40-year-old retired pitcher David Cone did so , too , last week-and in search of the very same thing . He is in the New York Mets ' camp , one of many nonroster elders looking for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ old outfielder who 's played in Mexico , Japan , Long Island and Omaha since he last appeared in the big leagues 10 years ago , worked out with the Florida Marlins last week . Phil Hiatt , a 33-year-old third baseman , is in camp with the Cubs , his ninth organization in nine years . They keep coming , these snowbirds in spikes , because , as Updike knows , every once in a while one of these dreams comes true . It was in Florida , after all , that a scattershot lefthanded pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers decided one day six years into his career to stop trying to throw every pitch with all of his might . It was a split-squad road game in Orlando , without the major league coaching staff on hand , when he figured he had nothing to lose . " Take the grunt out of it ; is how he later described his epiphany . The TWins batters could n't touch him . Sandy Koufax , the great Koufax of the Hall of Fame , was born on that day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once wrote of that trip , " a different pitcher . " Forty-one years later , a 20-year-old righthander from Venezuela pitched in a split-squad game for the Angels in Arizona . The major league coaches were n't there , either . But the minor league instructors who were came back talking breathlessly about the kid the way a tourist would the Grand Canyon . It was one of only three spring games in which he pitched . Six months later , when Francisco Rodriguez was called up to the big leagues , his teammates could n't even recall his being in camp . The Angels know , however , that they would n't have won the World Series without him . Maybe now , on a back field in some team 's camp , the next Koufax or the next K-Rod throws in the brilliant sunshine of spring training , as if warming in an incubator . Just the hint of such a possibility is a great part of the magic of this time of year . Spring training can only give birth to dreams . Whether they live or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least this spring we know the 162-game schedule will be played . We know that the defending American League Central champion Minnesota TWins will not be contracted . We know that as many as four players-Sammy Sosa , Rafael Palmeiro , Fred McGriff and Ken Griffey Jr. -might hit their 500th home run . ( As recently as 1964 , only four players in the history of the game had reached that plateau . ) We know that Roger Clemens needs only seven victories for 300 . We know that at least one team that lost more games than it won last year will earn the surprise team designation , and maybe a whole lot more . Photograph THREE KINGS Future Hall of Famers Babe Ruth , manager Miller Huggins and Lou Gehrig were an imposing trio in the Yankees ' camp in 1929 . Photograph ELDER STATESMAN Yankees coach Don Zimmer , who broke in as a shortstop with the Dodgers , is preparing for his 55th big league season . // The familiar iconography of spring training brings assurance . There is the palm tree , a symbol of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sprung from the residue of the day that made Adam , esteemed by the Romans as spoils for victorious gladiators and worshiped by relief pitchers for the spot of shade it offers on the outfield berm of quaint and sunny Holman Stadium in Vero Beach , Fla. , winter home of the Dodgers for 55 years . Westward stand the cacti , most of which bloom only in the spring and only briefly , some for just a matter of hours-much like the annual spring training phenom who ca n't hit a lick once the season begins . Among the saguaros last Thursday morning , in a Phoenix public park where the Athletics train , you would have found Barry Zito , the 2002 AL Cy Young Award winner , loosening his arm . Imagine Placido Domingo working on his chops at a karaoke bar or Tiger Woods pounding a bucket or two at the local muni goat track , and you understand the beautiful unpretentiousness of spring training . Zito wore yellow knee-high socks , green shorts , a yellow shirt and a cap with the tag still dangling from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or as Wordsworth wrote , " the glory and the freshness of a dreams When Zito was done throwing , after he had returned to the high-school-caliber locker room through the glass door bearing the motherly reminder NO CLEATS , a reporter asked him what he thought of spring training . " It 's cool ; he said . " After the winter it 's nice to get back to work , get back together with all the buds again " And then he found a word for it that 's just perfect this year . " It 's cleansing " he said . Do n't try telling me that spring training and its loose , disjointed games are meaningless . The meaning this year is thicker than SPF 30 lotion on a Milwaukee Brewers fan in Phoenix . Spring training , which always did seem to come at exactly the right time , has its groove back . It is once again an old-fashioned ritual , and for a game that lingers in our hearts more because of what we think it was rather than what it is , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ troubled times . So go ahead : Hope all you want . Sidebar All Things SPRING Sidebar The Grapefruit and Cactus leagues by the numbers Sidebar * Players in major league camps this spring : 1,700 Sidebar * Players who will be on Opening Day rosters : 750 Sidebar * Spring training credentials issued by the New York Yankees ( who signed slugger Hideki Matsui in the off-season ) to Japanese media : 113 Sidebar * Credentials issued by the Yankees to non-Japanese media : 114 * Total spring training credentials issued by the Montreal Expos : 20 Sidebar * Average attendance at Scottsdale Stadium for San Francisco Giants exhibition games last spring : 14,632 * Teams that had an average attendance of less than 14,632 during the 2002 season : 3 ( Expos , Florida Martins , Tampa Bay Devil Rays ) Sidebar * Players in the San Diego Padres ' camp who were not yet born when 45-year -- old teammate Jesse Orosco attended his first major league spring training , with the New York Mets , in 1979 : 13 Cost of the new spring training site , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Kansas City Royals and the Texas Rangers : $48.3 million Sidebar * Percentage of the cost paid by the Royals and the Rangers : 0 * Capacity of Surprise Stadium : 10,500 * Population of Surprise in 1995 : 10,187 Sidebar * Wins for the Baltimore Orioles in 29 exhibition games last spring : 20 * Wins for the Orioles in 77 regular -- season games after the All-Star break last year : 25 Author Affiliation Read Tom Verducci 's weekly Inside Baseball column every Tuesday and check out si.com 's photo gallery of spring training through the years at si.com/baseball. // <p> 
##2000478 Behind their filthy-good , top-ranked defense , the Bucs rolled to a 12-4 finish and the NFC South crown Photograph Red Menace Warren Sapp might have boasted a higher Q rating , but pounding for pounding , linebacker Derrick Brooks was the game ' best defender in 2002 . On a unit that led the NFL in total defense , pass defense and scoring defense , the league 's Defensive Player of the Year made 170 tackles . ( including this one on Baltimore 's Jamal Lewis on Sept. 15 ) and set a record for linebackers by returning three interceptions for TDs . PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID BERGMAN Photograph Red Menace Warren Sapp might have boasted a higher Q rating , but pounding for pounding , linebacker Derrick Brooks was the game ' best defender in 2002 . On a unit that led the NFL in total defense , pass defense and scoring defense , the league 's Defensive Player of the Year made 170 tackles . ( including this one on Baltimore 's Jamal Lewis on Sept. 15 ) and set a record for linebackers by returning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Not Dunn Yet In training camp Gruden questioned his toughness ; as he flopped during the season , a columnist wrote that he " had the balance of Gerald Ford and the vision of Mr. Magoo . " But despite a difficult season in which he averaged fewer than 50 yards per game and 3.5 per carry , Michael Pittman-who was signed as a free agent to replace the popular Warrick Dunn-would , of course , save his best for last . PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID BERGMAN // QB Keeper How valuable was Brad Johnson to the Bucs ' offense ? In the three games he missed with rib and back injuries , Tampa 's scoring average dropped by 10 points . Johnson , the 227th player selected in the 1992 draft ( by Minnesota ) , finished the season with the NFC 's best passer rating ( 92.9 ) . " Brad is very underrated , " says wideout Keenan McCardell . " He makes plays every time he 's out there , whether it 's dropping the ball off to Michael Pittman for a five-yard gain or throwing a bomb @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( for Now ) Photograph // On Oct. 20 , for the third time in two years , the Bucs were soundly beaten by Philadelphia at Veterans Stadium . Corey Simon and the Eagles sacked Tampa quarterbacks Brad Johnson and Rob Johnson ( above ) six times in the 20-10 Bucs loss . Afterward coach Jon Gruden was already thinking about what Tampa needed to do if these teams were to meet in the playoffs . " To ever beat the Philadelphia Eagles , we have to make some plays on offense , " said Gruden . PHOTOGRAPH BY BOB ROSATO Lynch 's Mob Photograph Not Dunn Yet In training camp Gruden questioned his toughness ; as he flopped during the season , a columnist wrote that he " had the balance of Gerald Ford and the vision of Mr. Magoo . " But despite a difficult season in which he averaged fewer than 50 yards per game and 3.5 per carry , Michael Pittman-who was signed as a free agent to replace the popular Warrick Dunn-would , of course , save his best for last . PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID BERGMAN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toughness ; as he flopped during the season , a columnist wrote that he " had the balance of Gerald Ford and the vision of Mr. Magoo . " But despite a difficult season in which he averaged fewer than 50 yards per game and 3.5 per carry , Michael Pittman-who was signed as a free agent to replace the popular Warrick Dunn-would , of course , save his best for last . PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID BERGMAN Photograph // Twelve years ago John Lynch ( 47 ) was a backup quarterback at Stanford when he approached coach Dennis Green and said , " Get me out on the field . " To which Green replied , " How about safety ? " Thus began Lynch 's career on defense . Even at 31 the five-time Pro Bowl selection remains one of the league 's top safeties , the fulcrum of the Bucs ' defensive backfield . This season he had three interceptions on a unit that picked off 31 passes-most in the NFL . PHOTOGRAPH BY TOM DIFACE The Sack Artist Photograph // In March 2001 , after five up-and-down years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took off . This season Rice led the NFC in sacks with 15h , he forced a team-high six fumbles and set an NFL single-season record by amassing two-plus sacks in five consecutive games . " I always felt like I could make other players better , " says Rice , here sacking Green Bay 's Brett Favre in a 21-7 Bucs win on Nov. 24 . " I saw Tampa lose to St. Louis in the 1999 NFC championship , and I was thinking , Man , if I was on that team , they would 've won . " PHOTOGRAPH BY BILL FRAKES No More Yucs Photograph // Johnny Carson used to lampoon them on The Tonight Show . Fans in other NFL cities occasionally called them the Yuccaneers . And some of the players themselves used to laugh at how bad they were . All of which made this season especially sweet for the Tampa fans . After enduring 27 years of frustration , Bucs backers were finally rewarded for their loyalty . PHOTOGRAPH BY BILL FRAKES Tall Order Photograph Bang for the Buc : Drafted in 1996 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , running back Mike Alstott has been one of the team 's most consistent players over the last six years . This season the 6 ' I " , 248-pound Alstott was particularly effective in short-yardage situations . Though he carried the ball only 146 times for 548 yards , he scored five TDs . " If I have to get from point A to point B , I 'm going to try to lower my shoulder , " says Alstott . PHOTOGRAPH BY BOB ROSATO Photograph Bang for the Buc : Drafted in 1996 out of Purdue in the second round by the Bucs , running back Mike Alstott has been one of the team 's most consistent players over the last six years . This season the 6 ' I " , 248-pound Alstott was particularly effective in short-yardage situations . Though he carried the ball only 146 times for 548 yards , he scored five TDs . " If I have to get from point A to point B , I 'm going to try to lower my shoulder , " says Alstott . PHOT GRAPH BY BOB @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he and his dad played catch in their backyard almost every day . This partly explains why Jurevicius is one of the best pass catchers in the NFL . The fact that he is 6 ' 5 " does n't hurt , either . " I do n't think I 've ever faced a 6 ' 5 " cornerback , " he says , " so I 'm always going to have a height advantage . " Jurevicius , Tampa Bay 's third receiver , had his breakout game against Atlanta on Dec. 8 , catching eight passes for a career-high 100 yards in a 34-10 Bucs victory . PHOTOGRAPH BY HEINZ KLUETMEIER Photograph Photograph Sidebar Automatica A native of Argentina , Martin Gramatica learned to kick as a teenager in a cow pasture behind his home in LaBelle , Fla . This season the 5 ' 8 ' ' , 170-pound Gramatica was once again a big weapon for the Bucs , connecting on 32 field goals in 39 attempts and , most impressive , making five of six kicks from 50 yards and beyond . " Martin is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's punter and holder . " He 's probably one of the best kickers in the league . He made a lot of big kicks for this team . " PHOTOGRAPH BY DAMIAN STROHMEYER // <p> 
##2000950 See also additional image in Table of Contents of same issueSee also related articles on pages 118-122 of same issue One all-new pickup debut in a model year is an event . A year with two is an absolute bonanza . Three is pretty much unheard of . Yet that 's exactly the kind of bumper crop that full-size pickup truck buyers will enjoy this year , with brand-new models coming from Ford , Nissan and Toyota . Our focus here is on the light-duty segment of the pickup market , since that 's where all the new introductions are taking place . Rest assured , however , that even though these trucks fall into the " personal use " pickup category , they are engineered so as not to fail those outdoorsmen who see their trucks more as tools than toys . A word about pricing : As of this writing , the domestic truck makers have announced 2004 model-year prices ; the Japanese makers have not . By the time you read this , however , your local dealer should have up-to-date pricing information . CHEVROLET/GMC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so there are limited -- but important -- changes for 2004 . Chevrolet is expanding the availability of its Quadrasteer rear-steer system to 1500-series Extended-Cab short-box models , and the crew-cab body style will become available mid-year on Chevy and GMC 1500 chassis for the first time . GM has revamped several of its option packages . Base trucks have features such as chrome bumpers , cruise control and uplevel wheels as standard equipment . The Work Truck package , which includes a painted grille and bumpers , a V-6/manual transmission power train and 16-inch steel wheels , can be ordered on all Silverado models . And Chevrolet 's Z71 off-road package now combines amenities such as power windows and door locks , cruise control , remote keyless entry and an AM/FM/CD/cassette stereo with the suspension upgrades and extra skid plates available previously . ( General Motors Corp. , 800-462-8782 , www.chevrolet.com ) DODGE For 2004 , Dodge replaces its 5.9-liter Magnum V-8 engine across the Ram line with the smaller but more powerful 5.7-liter Hemi . That means the Ram 1500 , when equipped with the 345-horsepower Hemi , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , " according to Dodge . ( Only Ford 's 380hp SVT Lightning pickup beats it , and that truck is not exactly " mass-produced . " ) Dodge has also introduced a full-time AWD ( all-wheel-drive ) system with an electric-shift transfer case for the Ram . Unlike some AWD systems on the market , this transfer case has both high and low ranges . This year the top-of-the-line Ram is the Laramie model , distinguished by its chrome grille and unique leather upholstery . For those more interested in " go " than " show , " an Off-Road package includes 32-inch-tall LT275/70R17 all-terrain tires , multiple skid plates , specially tuned shock absorbers and lower axle ratios , plus a limited-slip differential in the rear axle . There is also a Work Special package that replaces the Ram 's brightwork with a dark gray front fascia , painted rear bumper and steel wheels . Unfortunately , the Hemi is not available in this " stealth " trim at this time . ( DaimlerChrysler Corp. , 800-423-6343 , www.dodge.com ) FORD The freshening of the F-150 's looks belies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revisions . The F-150 's boxed frame is now nine times stiffer than that of the previous model , and suspension enhancements , including wider leaf springs and rear shock absorbers mounted outboard of the leaves , were designed in tandem with the stiffer frame , giving the truck best-in-class ride characteristics . Under the hood , the 5.4-liter Triton V-8 has been massaged to provide a 15 percent horsepower improvement . Regular and SuperCab cabins are 6 inches longer to provide more cargo and passenger room , respectively , and the Regular Cab body now features access doors at the back of the cab . Even the beds on these trucks were revisited and made 2 inches deeper to increase cargo capacity . There are now five distinct F-150 models , from the base XL to the top-shelf Lariat . Each has its own list of standard and optional equipment , as well as a different interior treatment to reflect the trim level 's " personality . " Those of you with serious off-road intentions should shop the FX4 model , with its standard 300-horsepower V-8 , off-road-tuned shocks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all-new 2004 trucks , Ford is carrying over last year 's model as the F-150 Heritage . These pickups are outfitted with equipment not available on the new trucks , such as V-6 engines and manual transmissions , and many models feature carry-over prices , too . ( Ford Motor Co. , 800-392-3673 , www.ford.com ) NISSAN Nissan 's all-new Titan is a true full-size pickup in every sense of the word . Its exterior and interior dimensions are virtually identical to those of the 2004 Ford F-150 ; its maximum towing capacity also meets the new Ford 's ; and the Titan 's 5.6-liter " Endurance " V-8 outperforms Ford 's new 5.4-liter V-8 . When it goes on sale December 1 , the Titan will be offered in King Cab and Crew Cab configurations . Both are the same length overall ; the four-door Crew Cab trades a foot in bed length and a little cargo capacity for increased rear-seat legroom . The Endurance V-8 , mated to a five-speed automatic transmission , is the only power train available , but it 's plenty strong for most needs . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . The King Cab 's rear doors open nearly 180 degrees to ease cargo and passenger loading . A High Utility bed option includes a sprayed-in bed liner , an adjustable tie-down channel system and a small lockable storage compartment on the outside of the bed behind the left rear wheel . The Off-Road package not only includes the usual all-terrain tires , skid plates and special shock absorbers , but will have an electric locking rear differential by springtime . There were avid hunters on the Titan 's development team , so prototype trucks have already been field-tested on elk and deer hunts . Those same engineers are looking into developing a line of outdoor accessories , such as dog boxes , to fit the optional High Utility bed tie-down channels . ( Nissan Motor Co. , 800-647-7261 , www.nissanmotors.com ) TOYOTA Like Nissan , Toyota had Ford trucks squarely in its sights when its engineers began designing the new Double-Cab version of the Tundra pickup . The D-Cab is longer , wider and taller overall than Ford 's F-150 SuperCrew model , and its cabin offers as much interior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The D-Cab 's bed is longer than the Super Crew 's ( and the Titan Crew Cab 's ) , and it 's 4 inches deeper than other Tundra boxes . About the only component Toyota did n't enlarge is the D-Cab 's engine , which is the same 240-horse , 4.7-liter V-8 available in the regular- and Access-Cab Tundra models . Accessories , including a bed liner and SnugTop shell , are already available for the new Tundra . To facilitate cargo pass-through between the cab and the bed , Toyota borrowed a trick from its SUVs and designed the rear window to slide down into the cab via an electric motor . Toyota 's performance arm , TRD , developed an Off-Road package that includes revised springs and Bilstein shocks , 30-inch-tall P265/70R16 BFGoodrich Rugged Trail all-terrain tires , skid plates , mud guards , fog lights and fender flares -- just about everything a sportsman could ask for . ( Toyota Motor Sales , U.S.A. , 800-331-4331 , www.toyota.com ) Colorado &; Canyon : GM 's New Midsize Pickups Until 2004 , the midsize pickup segment was owned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this niche , the Chevrolet Colorado ( far left ) and the GMC Canyon . Both feature three cab configurations ( Regular , Extended Cab and Crew Cab ) and two box lengths ( 6 feet on Regular and Extended Cab models , 5 feet on Crew Cabs ) . Two all-new engines power the trucks : a 2.8-liter , 175-horsepower in-line four-cylinder and a 3.5-liter , 220-horse in-line five-cylinder . Both are derived from the 4.2-liter in-line six-cylinder engine designed for GM 's midsize SUVs . Maximum towing capacity is 4,000 pounds . Maximum payload is 1,613 pounds . Prices for 4WD versions of the trucks start at $18,760 for a base-level , Regular Cab Colorado , $19,140 for a Canyon in similar trim . Illustration <p> 
##2000952 See also additional image in Table of Contents of same issue The January wind was blowing a steady 35 knots from the northeast , kicking up whitecaps as Bill Jakusik , my father-in-law , and I surveyed the uninviting waters from the boat ramp . " Are you sure about this ? Seems kind of nasty out there , " Bill said as he nervously prepped the tender . It was nasty , indeed . But as long as we kept the boat 's bow up into the waves we would n't get swamped . There was no question , though , that we would get wet . Short of a hurricane , the weather was not going to keep us away from the hundreds of sea ducks that were feeding contentedly in a sheltered cove a couple of miles from our launch site . As a waterfowl guide , most of my season is spent putting clients on memorable hunts . Days for a personal hunt are few and far between . I did n't want to waste an opportunity to shoot ducks , even if there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ water . After launching my duck boat with the layout strapped on its bow , I turned the key on my outboard . The motor grumbled and turned over . I was happy to hear it start on the first try . We were hunting in Cape Cod , Mass . Rich with a history of outstanding sea duck hunting , the Cape is a magnet for migrating waterfowl . Thousands of birds like eiders , old squaws and even diver species like bluebills raft on the open water . DIVE-BOMBING DUCKS With the layout boat over the side we busied ourselves with placing a few dozen decoys , attached by mother lines . Bill and I became an assembly line , putting decoy after decoy out on the water . " Anchor , long-line clip , mother line , great . Now more decoys , " I said , clipping them on as fast as they were handed to me . Soon we were ready to hunt . Bill jumped into the layout rig , and I moved the tender upwind and away from the eiders ' expected line of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was time to relax and take in the scene . We did n't have to wait long . " Bill , you have a flock of eiders making their way right at you , " I warned through a two-way radio . " Got ' em ! " he replied . I could hear the excitement rising in his voice as the birds approached . Watching the flock , I saw when they spotted the rig . Flying fast and changing positions , the energy-packed eiders looked like fighter jets coming in for an attack . " Get ready , they 're on you , " I reported . Typical of eiders , the flock banked to one side in unison as they picked up the line of decoys on the outside of the rig . Suddenly the flock flared up , reaching for altitude . Bill sat up , mounted his gun and cleanly took a pair of drakes on the outside edge of the group . " I have birds down , " Bill said , over the radio . Not wanting the ducks to drift too far with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and steered toward them . There they were , two drakes floating belly-up in the decoys . When you 're doing a layout hunt , watching can be as much fun as gunning . There 's nothing subtle about the way eiders approach decoys . They are dive-bombers . Once they decide to land , they drop in like feathered footballs . More eiders came to feed , and most made their way to the layout rig . After Bill picked up his limit , it was my turn to shoot . Not long after Bill dropped me off , four drakes and two hens came sailing by . Breaking away was a regal drake which flew in head-on , wings locked and feet down . It was like I was part of the water . I rose from the layout seat , slapping the trigger . The bird tumbled into the cold Atlantic waters . It did n't take long for me to fill my limit by doubling on two more drakes taken from a big flock . The pair 's momentum made them skip off the water surface as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ successful hunt . LAYOUT HUNTING BASICS Sea duck hunting is an adrenaline rush . Hunting the ducks from a layout is adventure at its best . The key to layout hunting , as with any waterfowling method , is setting up in the spot where the ducks want to be . Prime locations are feeding and resting areas or flight paths to and from these spots . After finding a location to hunt , anchor your layout . Two anchors are needed , a Danforth anchor for the stern ( the end where the hunter rests his head ) and a mushroom anchor for the bow . Your Danforth anchor needs a line at least three times the water depth to give the boat scope . Motor the tender upwind of where you plan to gun , with the layout across its bow . Turn the tender perpendicular to the wind , and drop the layout 's stern anchor to the windward side , letting the tender drift until the anchor takes hold of the bottom . Attach the bow anchor line to the layout , then place the layout in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tender drift apart . Then drop the bow anchor overboard . When hunting divers and sea ducks , the more decoys the better . To make the task of placing dozens of decoys manageable , veteran diver hunters use mother lines , also called long lines . Mother lines are a length of cord with anchors on both ends . The decoys are fastened to it with the kind of clips used by commercial fishermen . When gunning open water , the goal is to have the setup look like a large raft of ducks resting or feeding . For camouflage , wear grays . Some water may get into the layout , especially when you 're transferring hunters . For this reason , as well as safety , I highly recommend wearing neoprene waders . A large sponge can come in handy , too , because sitting in ice-cold water is n't pleasant . For information on layout boats , contact the Mighty Layout Boys ( 877-652-3695 , www.mightylayoutboys.com ) . For guided sea duck or diver hunts in the Northeast , contact East Coast Guide Service ( 508-336-3755 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own hunt on Cape Cod , contact the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Wildlife at **37;463;TOOLONG for license , location , firearm and hunting information . For more regional information , go to **28;502;TOOLONG Illustration <p> 
##2000954 See also additional image in Table of Contents of same issue With their wings catching the rosy glow of the setting sun , the snow geese sailed in a long V over the deep green marsh , fluttering toward the horizon , bringing another day on the coastal wilderness to a close -- and prompting Boozie Cosse to give the traditional delta goose-hunter 's farewell call : " You rotten SOBs ! I hope you all die on the breeding grounds next year ! I hope they napalm your tail feathers ! You 're worthless ! I hate you ! " Another delta goose hunt had come to an end . You 've seen the photos of goose hunts , of camo-draped hunters standing neatly in dry pit blinds as huge birds float like blimps toward their waiting shotguns . You 've read the stories of sportsmen walking through frost-covered wheat stubble , lugging the day 's haul of honkers . You 've seen the videos portraying the sport as the ultimate in waterfowling -- a no-muss , no-fuss gentleman 's game . Well , forget it . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for goose hunters in her southeastern marshes , it 's a voluntary hell on earth whose victims seem condemned to an eternity of frustration and bedevilment . Frustration because after long , dangerous boat rides and slogging through thick gumbo mud , they seldom get a shot , much less bag a goose . Bedevilment because they keep coming back for more . At first glance the suffering appears surprising . Upward of 60,000 snow geese descend on the vast Mississippi Delta each fall , providing what would seem to be ample , and large , targets for hunters . Besides , for waterfowlers who think the game is too difficult , there are certainly options -- like the 300,000 ducks often swarming in the same skies . But looks are deceiving . These are n't just any birds . And these are definitely not normal hunters . EINSTEINS OF WATERFOWL The snow goose , in fact , is among the most remarkable of modern wildlife stories , a critter that has defied the odds by not only surviving man 's hungry consumption of planet Earth , but benefiting from it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waterfowl species in the last 50 years provided snow geese with rich wintering grounds . That has resulted in record numbers with unexpected results : The expanding population is destroying the fragile tundra along the edges of Canada 's Hudson Bay . Waterfowl managers have responded by steadily raising limits and even offering no-limit hunting . But the snows are definitely not birdbrains . They 're hard as the devil to hunt . " They are n't easy to decoy , because they usually stay in huge flocks and do n't break up into small groups , " says veteran guide Mike Smith , of Reggio , La . " And even when they do break up , they 're just very wary and spooky . " They leave their breeding grounds that way , and by the time they reach their wintering grounds along the Gulf Coast they are the Einsteins of the waterfowling world . The bird has a better reputation in southwestern Louisiana , where the playing field is more even , and civil . There , snow geese by the tens of thousands mass on wheat and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's great prairie . And sports can hunt in the comfort of large , clean , dry pit blinds . Things are n't that easy on the delta . The Mississippi River delta is heaven for waterfowl , a sprawling wetland complex of fresh and brackish marshes , lagoons , bays and mud flats . But that maze of habitat means the geese have many options -- too many , in fact . They move daily , and often to vast mud flats , forcing hunters to work like marathon runners . BIRDS ON THE HORIZON Robert " Boozie " Cosse and his pals , brothers Brent and Brandon Ballay , are all in their mid-20s . Despite their age , they should know better : They grew up on the delta and have chased geese there for 15 years . Yet they are going back -- for the second time in a week . " We got two yesterday , " says Brent as we load more than a hundred decoys onto an 18-foot flat for the ride downriver . " It 's the challenge we like . Anyone can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the goose hunting . " Around 1 p.m. , Cosse points the rig down the Mississippi into the teeth of a 15-knot wind growling up the channel of the big river . Seventy wet minutes later , he is in the relative quiet of South Pass on a portion of the state-run Pass-a-Loutre Wildlife Management Area and beaches the boat on a point of deltaic muck filled with winter-burned , three-corner grass . We set the decoys by slogging through 2 feet of soft delta mud , raining sweat in the 70-degree afternoon . When the job is done we walk upwind about 50 yards , hiding in the grass or behind a large " floater , " a tree trunk left by the river during high water . The wait has hardly started when the frustration hits home : A third of a mile away large clouds of geese can be seen rising , setting down , rising again . They 're on the point Brent and Boozie hunted the day before . " Looks like we guessed wrong , " says Brent . " But it 's not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 've still got two hours to wait . " We discuss the pros and cons of snow goose hunting on the delta . Brandon Ballay shares a thought . " You ca n't give up , but sometimes it seems pretty hopeless . " BRUISED EGOS Hopeless did n't arrive until near sundown . The few geese that strayed over our spot remained aloof and aloft -- honking and yelping from several hundred yards up , far out of range . And now a large group is rising in a thick cloud across the bay , taunting us . " Must be twenty thousand over there , " yells Brent . " You see , this is why I hate goose hunting down here . You come all this way , work this hard , and you may never get a shot . " But Brandon has been working his goose call and he gives an urgent warning : " Two coming in to your left . " Sure enough , two stray snow geese are working toward the spread from 100 yards away -- and not too high . Oddly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They 're coming right in , " whispers Brent . And they do , floating within 70 yards , then 60 , 50 , 30 ... Then one of the geese lets out a high-pitched yelp , and the pair suddenly gains altitude . Brent rises and unloads three shells from his 12-gauge . Brandon and Boozie follow suit . But the geese turn harmlessly in the sky -- chased by epithets from the hunters . The final indignity still lay ahead . As we slog through the muck to collect the dekes , the honking of geese grows from a distant echo to a roar . Suddenly the shadows of a dozen snows come zooming within 3 feet of our heads . " We 're stupid , really stupid to do this , " Brent says . " But we 'll probably do it again tomorrow . " For more regional information , go to **28;784;TOOLONG Illustration <p> 
##2000955 The 2004 outboard crop has cut through the blue haze that used to envelop most marinas at sunrise . Thanks to four-stroke engines and direct-fuel-injection ( dfi ) motors , which burn a fraction of the oil of earlier kickers , the fog of oil smoke is gone -- and so is the pollution . But the best news is fuel economy . Considering the price of gasoline lately , how would you feel about cutting your fuel bills in half ? Many of these new motors can do that . Most of them also run quieter and have fewer mechanical problems than the outboards that preceded them . The bad news is that you 'll pay more for the new outboards , which rely heavily on production-intense four-cycles or complex high-pressure , direct-injection two-strokes . For those who run their motors hard , however , the savings in fuel will make up for the added cost quickly . Here 's a look at some of the more interesting motors now at your dealer . EVINRUDE The Evinrude E-TEC series , Bombardier 's revised edition of dfi two-strokes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 75- and 90-horse versions . The company says the new system runs even cleaner than the FICHT motors that have been OMC 's primary approach to meeting new pollution standards and that the motors are lighter and require less maintenance due to the elimination of mechanical oil pumps , powerhead gears and belts . The motors have no dealer-scheduled maintenance for three years , a big boost in on-the-water time if they perform as advertised . They 're exceptionally quiet for a dfi-type two-stroke , thanks to a double cowl , foam insulation in both upper and lower covers and a new piston design that reduces " slap " in the cylinders . Many dfi motors have an unpleasant whine at idle , but the E-TECs seem to be nicely muffled . Is silence that important to you ? It is if you 're an all-day troller who does n't want to yell over the outboard . There 's some evidence that noisy motors put off fish for trollers , too , particularly in shallow water , so silence is definitely golden . The key to improved efficiency on the E-TECs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half the time of some other dfi systems , eliminating the opportunity for unburned fuel to escape out the exhaust port . This " blow-by " is what makes conventional two-strokes waste fuel as well as causing them to spew pollutants . Reportedly , the new E-TEC motors burn up to 50 percent less oil than competing direct-injection outboards . Evinrude does n't list suggested retail prices . ( 800-384-6783 ; www.evinrude.com ) HONDA Honda , which reportedly has sold more four-stroke outboards than any other company , continues to expand its line with new 135- and 150-horse models built on an in-line four-cylinder block with dual overhead cams and variable air-intake port systems , plus variable valve timing in the 150 . The in-line configuration keeps the motors light for four-strokes . The 150 's dry weight with the 25-inch shaft is about 485 pounds . That is n't light for a 150 two-stroke , to be sure ; the Johnson standard 150 weighs in at just 370 pounds , but like all carbureted motors , its days are numbered . Can 115 pounds make a difference in the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back there on the transom . But all four-strokes are considerably heavier than their carbureted predecessors , so we 'll have to learn to live with it . Honda reports that its 135 produces a 20 percent increase in fuel efficiency over last year 's Honda 130 four-stroke , which was already a very thrifty motor . Users tout the carlike dependabilty of the whole Honda line , as well as its low noise levels . Suggested retail prices start at $12,335 for the 135 and $13,935 for the 150. ( 800-915-2624 ; www.honda-marine.com ) MERCURY Merc 's new 115 OptiMax two-stroke should be a contender for those with midsize bass and walleye rigs . At just 375 pounds , this in-line three-cylinder is exceptionally light , and the company says it will deliver a 45 percent fuel savings over conventional two-stroke 115s . It has a 60-amp alternator that will power all your nighttime walleye gear with ease plus keep your troller and starting batteries topped off . With 2.07:1 gearing , the 115 OptiMax has an impressive hole shot , even with heavily loaded boats . It 's expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some competing two-strokes without direct injection . Mercury 's Optimax compressors have a sound signature that some find annoying , but the fish do n't seem to mind . Mercury also has a new 250 EFI that performance bass-boaters should dig ; the motor weighs 479 pounds , putting it well under 2 pounds per horsepower . It 's not much of a fuel-saver , but for those who want to zoom down the lake at knuckle-whitening speed , this one will be worth a look . Noise levels are similar to those of other conventional two-strokes . Merc is also completing prototype production on a four-stroke 250 as this is being written ; the motor should be available this spring . It 's reportedly an in-line six weighing around 500 pounds . ( 920-929-5040 ; www.mercurymarine.com ) SUZUKI Suzuki , which has been a value-priced motor in years past , is poised to change its status dramatically with the introduction of a big four-stroke 200 , 225 and 250 built on an XXL 220.4-cubic-inch block , the largest displacement V-6 in the industry . Not only do the motors have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of any V-6 , you can practically smell the tire smoke when you hit the throttle . According to Dave Greenwood , senior research analyst for the company , the 55-degree vee ( most motors have a 60-degree angle ) and an offset driveshaft allow the company to make the powerhead unusually compact , despite the big cubes ; a Yamaha 250 cowl will sit comfortably overtop the Suzuki cowl . I had the opportunity to run these motors last summer , and all of them were impressive in power output . Economy was also very good . At idle , you ca n't hear these motors running or feel the vibration , so engineers added a lockout to prevent trying to start the motor when it 's already running -- they 're that quiet ! In my test runs last summer , the 225 pushed a Lund 2025 ProV to over 55 mph while using just 19 gallons of fuel per hour . The rig had a three-second hole shot , too -- so much for the theory that four-strokes are slower than two-strokes . The motors are fairly pricey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at $16,750 and the 250 at an eye-watering $18,293 . Is this the end of the " low-priced " Suzuki motor ? ( 800-247-4704 ; www.suzukimarine.com ) TOHATSU Tohatsu has expanded its four-stroke line to include 8- and 9.8-horse versions , each weighing just 81.5 pounds . These two-cylinder engines have a digital CD ignition system that starts the motors quickly . A new high-capacity air silencer makes these motors purr quietly . The 8-horsepower version retails for $1,889 and the 9.8 costs $2,043 . Both of these four-strokes have a three-year warranty . ( 972-323-6003 ; www.tohatsu.com ) YAMAHA If you really need to get down the lake fast , check out Yamaha 's new 300-horse monster , now the highest-output motor in the biz . The VZ-300 , built on a 204-cubic-inch block that weighs 539 pounds dry , will be the one to beat for speed demons . I ran pre-production versions of these motors last summer , and they are absolute head-snappers , with what seems to be a passing gear between 4,500 and 5,500 rpm . The lower unit has a racing-style lower water pickup so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ water pressure . Who cares ? You should , if you feel the need for speed ; the higher you jack and trim the motor without blowout , the faster you go . There 's also some techy skeg engineering that reduces wheel torque at the top end , making any high-performance rig easier to drive straight when you get over a mile a minute . The 1,000-psi fuel injectors , one per cylinder , deliver fully atomized fuel , which engineers say gives more power at full throttle and more miles per gallon in the midranges . I like the low fuel use on this motor given the horsepower , not because of fuel costs , but because it greatly increases the range ; if you fish a big TVA lake , a 50-mile-run one way is not unheard of , so a motor that does n't drink gasoline by the barrel has much to recommend it . You probably wo n't like the asking price , though . The motor lists at $18,750 . Remember when you could buy a boat , motor , trailer and pickup to pull @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ modest horsepower needs , check out the new F150 four-stroke . The in-line , 163-cubic-inch four-cylinder weighs 466 pounds and is very , very fuel-stingy . ( The company claims 20 percent better fuel economy than Suzuki 's 140-horse four-stroke at 4,000 rpm . ) It is perhaps the quietest 150 ever , thanks to tuned intake and exhaust systems plus lots of foam in the cowling . In general , Yamaha 's direct-injection motors have been considerably quieter and smoother-running than their competition 's , though Evinrude 's new E-TEC might challenge that . The motor lists for $12,750 . Though the variety of horsepowers and induction systems makes an apples-to-apples comparison of new 2004 motors impossible , this one would probably qualify as " Editor 's Choice , " a motor likely to make a lot of folks with bass and walleye rigs in the popular 17- to 19-foot range very happy . ( 800-889-2624 ; www.yamaha-motor.com ) Half-Price Four-Stroke Briggs and Stratton builds more motors for outdoors gear than any other company in the world , but the company has stayed out of the outboard market until now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kicker that sells for an incredible $729 ( $849 for the Advantage Wetlands camo version ) -- almost exactly half the price of competing four-strokes . And the motor weighs a scant 56 pounds . How did Briggs and Stratton do it ? It 's an air-cooled motor , which is far cheaper to build than a water-cooled outboard , but consequently not nearly as quiet as most expect four-strokes to be . Another negative : The motor 's warranty is void if you run the motor in salt water . The motor wo n't win any beauty contests , either , but for half the money , who needs looks ? This one might well qualify as a " Great Buy " among the small motors for 2004. ( 800-743-4115 ; **27;814;TOOLONG ) Illustration <p> 
##2000961 See also additional image in Table of Contents of same issue It was a magnificent Easter Sunday morning when canoe guide Phil Longden led his party of German tourists into a channel skirting the great Zambezi River , which separates Zambia and Zimbabwe in southern Africa . Their trip had been a happy one and the spectacles they had come in search of had filled their cameras . The vista ahead promised more of the same . Waterbuck and impala grazed quietly on the green riverine grasses while brilliant white egrets danced at the feet of Cape buffalo as their hooves unearthed a well-stocked larder of insects . Unmistakable brown blobs rippled the calm water downriver as hippos grunted and chortled . On the sand banks crocodiles basked in the sun , languid but alert . Longden was tall , with an Olympian physique . No newcomer to these waters , he had coursed the big river in his fiberglass shell many times . The Zambezi practically ran in his veins . He loved the sweaty smell of the " Dagga Boys , " the old buffalo that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes on the islands . And he loved the scenic magnificence of the floodplain that lay at the feet of the rugged mountains that formed the Zambezi escarpment . That morning Longden had called the little flotilla together to relax and savor the beauty . He organized a " leg-over , " where the occupants place their feet in the adjoining canoe to hold the canoes parallel . The group rested their paddles and sat back to relax and let the current take them slowly down . The tranquil scene was shattered when an unseen hippo burst out of the reed-bank adjacent to them and crashed into the water . The guide reacted immediately and shouted for the paddlers to disengage . " Watch out ! " he screamed as he kicked a canoe away . But as he drew his foot back , a pair of gaping jaws with massive white incisors surged out of the water below and clamped onto his leg . With awesome brute strength and four tons of muscle and bone , the attacking hippo shook Longden like a rag doll , tearing into his flesh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with his paddle but was pulled into the river and dragged down . Terrified , the entourage screamed and lashed out at the water with their paddles . Miraculously , Longden surfaced . He was immediately pulled aboard another canoe and hauled to shore . His lower leg was a bloody mess of lacerations , still connected to the top half , though tenuously . Part of his leg was numb , but Longden felt a searing pain above the knee . The guide looked at his mangled leg and knew that a few disastrous seconds had changed his life forever . Then the scene was quiet again . Amid the chaos , Longden noticed his blue paddle drifting slowly away . He was sad to see it go ; it had been with him all the time he 'd been on the river and he felt like he was seeing the last of an old and trusted friend . He looked up at the big blue African sky and felt sadness overwhelm him . On this same Easter Sunday , a party of five people were on their way from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hundred miles downriver from where Phil Longden lay stricken . They were on their way to relax and fish and had no idea of what had just transpired . The group consisted of Alistair Gellatly , Arthur and Fay Taylor and Fay 's parents , Clive and Brenda Kelly , who were visiting from England . Both Gellatly and Taylor were professional hunters who were taking time off to relax for a few days and fish the Zambezi . They were both hard men who had spent years in the bush . MAYDAY , MAYDAY ! On Tuesday morning they were aboard their powerboat , just up from the Mupata Gorge , in the middle of the river drifting for Tiger fish . It was another perfect day ; the sun shone brilliantly and not a soul was in sight . Elephants frolicked on the north bank , and to top it all off the fish were biting . Life could hardly have felt better . That was about to change . Suddenly there was a thunder-clap and the boat 's prow exploded out of the water , sending the party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precarious angle , and another thud capsized them . In seconds they were in the water , swimming for their lives . For some strange reason a lone hippo had decided the boat was unwelcome and had attacked it . They saw their assailant only briefly as he snorted contemptuously , submerged and disappeared . All of them knew instinctively that they were smack in the middle of the river , at a point where the crocodiles ruled . Worse still , Clive and Brenda Kelly could not swim . Taylor was a strong man and an excellent swimmer . He and his wife grabbed Brenda and swam for the nearest sand bar . Gellatly and Clive managed to grab a rope trailing from the boat , which had settled in the water with its hull inverted . They climbed on top and found a semblance of sanctuary . Meanwhile , Taylor and his wife battled the current to reach the sandbar as Brenda hung on for dear life . Fear drove them on . Exhausted , they made it to the shallows and staggered to the center of the little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launched himself back into the river and swam back to the boat . With Gellatly 's help he then managed to get Clive back to the sandbar . It was midday and the sun was beating down . Their situation was desperate . They could wait and hope for another boat to pass by , but on this remote stretch of river there were no guarantees . Gellatly and Taylor also knew that the river level was dictated by the floodgates at the Kariba dam 200 miles upstream . If those gates were opened , the river would rise and their island sanctuary would disappear , leaving the party no choice but to swim for it . Gellatly decided that the best way to get help was for him to swim to the bank and run to a nearby fishing camp , about 5 kilometers away . He was well aware that his swim might cost him his life , but he was the only single man in the party ; his great friend Arthur had a wife and family . He dove into the river and swam for the riverbank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential death . INTO THE RIVER A smoker and a lover of beer , Gellatly was not exactly a fitness fanatic , but he pounded the water for all he was worth as he struggled to narrow the gap . Breathless , and after what seemed a lifetime , he finally touched the bank . He frantically tried to extricate himself . He clawed at the soil and tried to clamber up , but to no avail . The side was too sheer . Out of breath , his strength sapped , he looked upriver and saw an inlet . He swam toward the opening and entered the calm water , observing with relief that the land joined the river at a gentler grade here , which would allow him to exit the water more easily . He swam briskly through the mirrorlike calm . It was deadly quiet around him . Looking up , he realized why . Directly in front of him the armor-plated head of a crocodile lay motionless on the water . Then a gentle ripple formed a small bow-wave around the croc 's snout as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , knowing the croc would take him down into the dark depths and tear his body apart . With nowhere to go , Gellatly dove . In a second the crocodile attacked ; Gellatly was winded by the body blows that hammered into him . The big man kicked and punched in a furious panic in the dark . Somehow he kept the teeth at bay but the crocodile stayed close and circled him eagerly , looking for a limb to grab hold of . Then suddenly the croc was gone . Gellatly surfaced , gasping for air . For a brief moment there was quiet . Then all hell broke loose as Gellatly felt the full length of the crocodile 's body thrust against his as it powered out of the water and fastened onto his right arm at the elbow . Down he went again . This time he knew what was coming and made the only move he could . The old hunter knew the croc would launch itself into a tail-driven spin and wrench his arm from its socket , tearing him literally limb from limb . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the reptile 's torso , so as the croc spun he went with him . As long as he could hang on , the crocodile would not have the leverage to wrench his arm off . Gellatly remembered someone once told him that jamming a finger in a croc 's eye will make it break its grip . He plunged his left thumb into the beast 's eye socket and gouged with all the strength he could muster . " I thought I had broken my bloody thumb off and left it in his head , " Gellatly recalls . " The pain was incredible . It had absolutely no effect on him . " Seconds away from death , Gellatly made one last effort to save himself . He jammed his free hand down through the gap in the crocodile 's jaws and clawed at the back of its throat where he felt soft flesh . He ripped at it in a frantic final effort to gain release . Incredibly , he had reached the epiglottis and breached the flap of the skin at the rear of the croc @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed water to pour into the crocodile 's lungs , effectively drowning it . The croc spat Gellatly out , surfaced briefly and then disappeared in a dive . Gellatly lunged for the bank , staggered ashore and collapsed . His right arm was severely mutilated ; the elbow was dislocated and bones were shattered . Blood poured from the wounds and he knew he had to stanch the flow or die . He also knew his wounds contained deadly parasites , courtesy of the crocodile 's mouth and teeth . Without swift medical attention , severe infection and the loss of his arm would be inevitable . Gellatly moved to a shallow part of the river , where he tried to wash his wounds as best he could and then ripped a strip off his shirt and secured a tourniquet to stem the bleeding . Too weak to walk , he looked for somewhere to lie down and rest . He looked up at the same blue sky that Phil Longden had peered into two days earlier and felt the same sad loneliness as he pondered his destiny . A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's party were deeply despondent , since they had n't seen or heard from their companion . They were now trapped and their worst fears were being realized . The river was rising fast . From covering their ankles , it was now at their knees . A nearly full moon loomed in the east and Taylor well realized that come nightfall they would be fully exposed to the crocodiles . With no means of defense apart from his bare hands , he knew a horrible death was almost inevitable . He watched as the sun slunk away over the mountains in the west and prepared for the worst . Then , as if it were sent from heaven , he spotted something blue drifting downriver toward him . Astonished , he tried to make sense of what it was . Then , to his utter joy , he realized it was a paddle . Taylor raced into the water with reckless abandon and secured it . Miraculously , Phil Longden 's paddle had made it all the way down a hundred miles of channels and sand banks and had arrived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . Taylor 's spirits soared . Now he had a weapon to stave off the attacks that would surely come . The marooned party had a fighting chance . Meanwhile , on the shore , Gellatly made a bed of leaves among a pile of rocks and gathered together a bunch of stones with which to protect himself from prowling predators . It was a feeble defense but it was all he had . Lions , leopards and hyenas were all around and the sunset would bring them from their daytime hideouts to follow the hunting trail . " I was scared witless , " Gellatly recalls . " I knew how many hyenas there were in the area and I had left a serious blood trail behind . They were n't going to have a problem finding me . " With the light fading fast he made himself as comfortable as he could . A breeze blew off the river and the chill , combined with the aftershock of his encounter , made his body shake . He flinched as he heard the crack of twigs nearby -- something was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was something large : An elephant ? A hippo ? Scanning the thick riverine brush he saw the head and then the horns ... Cape buffalo ! He drew breath and his heart pounded as he watched the bull head toward him . Had it seen him or was it a mere coincidence that it was on his trail ? And if suddenly startled , would it give chase ? He steeled himself as his worst fears were realized -- the buffalo broke into a run , heading straight at him . " There was nothing I could do , " Gellatly recalls . " I just waited for it to come onto me and nail me . " Resigned , he waited for the end . Then something miraculous occurred . The buffalo broke his charge a few feet away , came to a complete halt , looked the human in the eye , put his nose in the air and shook his huge head high . " I could n't believe my eyes . He stopped just short of me and looked at me as if he knew I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the score was , " says Gellatly . " Then he turned and followed the blood spoor slowly back to the water , in effect following my tracks . He went to the water and stood motionless for a while , then ambled back and lay down nearby . I could n't believe what was going on . The old bull was trying to protect me ! " For a man who made a living out of hunting big game , it made no sense . One of the most formidable animals on the continent was now taking it upon himself to show a softer and gentler side . The aggressor had become the protector . As night fell Gellatly heard the first whoops of approaching hyenas . The sound sent nervous shivers through his broken body , but he took heart in the sight of the great beast casually chewing his cud just a few steps away , contemptuous of all those out there who might threaten . Through the night the hyenas called but kept their distance . " I just do n't know what would have happened if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gave me strength . " THE RIVER RISES Meanwhile the foursome in the river was living a nightmare . While they could still stand , they could do so only with great difficulty as the current bore down on them . In the moonlight they could see eyes sparkling in the water , each pair representing an animal that was determined to kill and eat them . The silhouette of the lonely quartet was stark for all to see . As nightfall arrived Taylor commenced beating the water with the paddle to frighten the circling crocs off . His efforts were effective but tiring , and periodically he had to take a break . His rests were short , however . As soon as he stopped lashing the water , the assailants would renew their assault . " I just beat the water like a madman , and when they came too close we all yelled like crazy and caused a commotion to scare them off . " Fortunately his powerful build , driven by fear , was up to the task . On at least two occasions he used the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maintained their deadly vigil through the night . A few hundred meters away Gellatly lay curled up in a ball trying desperately to keep his senses . He knew he had to carefully regulate the tourniquet . If he cut off the blood supply entirely his lower arm would perish . But he could not allow it to flow unrestricted or he might bleed to death . Roughly every 30 minutes he loosened the knot for a few seconds and then waited . Finally exhaustion overtook him and he lost consciousness . This might have spelled disaster for him , but fate intervened once again . Red ants , attracted to the blood , attacked him by the thousands , covering his body and invading his wounds . Gellatly awoke to the agony of a thousand bites and lashed out at the insects as best he could . He could n't rid himself of all of them , but this rude awakening kept him conscious and he went back to work on his tourniquet . This painful providence almost certainly saved his arm and probably his life . The sound of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be light and he would have a chance to find help . No sooner was the first blush of a sun-streaked dawn upon them than the old buffalo brought himself slowly to his feet , stretched his legs , gave his stricken acquaintance a quick backward glance and sauntered off . Gellatly looked on , incredulous . If he survived , no one was going to believe what he 'd tell them . Summoning his remaining strength , Gellatly staggered off in search of help . He could see someone across the river and his hopes rose . But the man was far off and Gellatly did not have the strength to shout . He tried to indicate his distress by raising his blood-soaked arm , but the man in the distance failed to understand . Later it turned out he thought Gellatly was a falconer and the makeshift bandages armlets for birds . Utterly frustrated and totally exhausted , Gellatly eventually collapsed . All he could do was wait and hope . A WILD RESCUE That afternoon , Arthur Taylor and his family found relief with the blessed arrival @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24 hours after they had capsized . Gellatly 's salvation came in the form of fishermen on the southern side of the river , who spotted his hand waving feebly in the distance . They came immediately , carried him to their boat and took him to a bush airfield in Zimbabwe where there was a radio . A plane was radioed to evacuate him to a hospital in Harare . He remembers the sweet sound of the aircraft engine . " The best sound I ever heard , " he says . " It had been more than twenty-four hours since the croc had ripped me up . I knew gangrene was a growing possibility and time was short . " Phil Longden made it back to his base camp later Easter night . By good fortune there were two visiting doctors in attendance . Sadly their best efforts were not enough to stave off the gangrene that resulted from the hippo 's bite . In the morning he was flown to Harare , where his leg was removed above the knee . Gellatly made a remarkable recovery . Apart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his right arm , he was ready to go hunting again nine months later . Illustration <p> 