WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER 5.2005
SPORTS
ARENA FOOTBALL
KC prepares for new team
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Fifteen New Orleans-based Arena Football League players will play in Kansas City this winter for a new expansion franchise.
The 18-team league reached an agreement with K.C. Arena Sports and Entertainment, which has signed a two-year lease to play its games at Kemper Arena. The new team has not yet been named. It paid the league a $16 million expansion fee and will get players under contract with the New Orleans VooDoo.
"It will be the Kansas City team," he said, "but we will certainly reach out to them and make sure it's still their team, too, and welcome their support as they follow us throughout the year."
The New Orleans franchise will not field a team next season because of the effects of Hurricane Katrina, but Tyler Prochnow of the Sports and Entertainment group said the Kansas City team would clearly be related to the VooDoo.
Born to ride
Kevin Porter, a former safety with the Kansas City Chiefs, is expected to be the coach of the new team. He had been defensive coordinator for the VooDoo, 9-7 last season under coach Mike Neu, who is expected to remain with the New Orleans franchise.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 5B
"This is not the way we planned it, but it is the result of a lot of good people who are excited about arena football being in Kansas City," league commissioner David Baker said Monday.
The VooDoo franchise is owned by Tom Benson, who also owns the NFL's New Orleans Saints. He will retain rights to the team's franchise, nickname and colors.
Michael Roth of the Anschutz Entertainment Group, which will manage the Sprint Center, said his organization hopes to be able to negotiate an agreement for the new Kansas City team to play there after starting out at Kemper.
"This is such a great opportunity for the people of Kansas City," Prochnow said. "We feel great we were able to step in and help not only those players, but give the people of New Orleans their team to root for."
Baker said the league expected to approve a Kansas City expansion for 2007, but decided to move that up because of the circumstances involving Katrina.
Kim Andrews/KANSAN
Mike McCaffrey displays his passion, vintage bikes, in front of the Spencer Museum of Art as part of the Spencer @ Work series this fall. McCaffrey worked at the museum for 12 years after working with the Lawrence Police Department, but now finds plenty of time to play with his collection of vintage bikes. "This is my art," McCaffrey said.
Arena League teams play with eight players and carry 24-man rosters with 20 active for each game. The season begins in January.
NFL
According to police reports, the bumper of Verduzco's sports utility vehicle got so close it was touching the officer's leg. Police said two officers tried to remove him from his vehicle while he slapped at them and pulled awa.
BY DOUG TUCKER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
That's when another officer sprayed Mace, police said.
Police said Verduzco was told not to turn into a gate at Arrowhead Stadium that he normally used because of heavy traffic, but did so anyway.
"I think I know what went on," Vermeil said. "I'm not as concerned about it. It's unfortunate. It shouldn't have happened. It could have been prevented. But that's as far as I'll go with it."
Maced coach 'did fine'
Vermeil declined to speak specifically about the incident, other than saying he was supporting his 35-year-old tight ends coach.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Getting sprayed with Mace by police before Kansas City played Philadelphia did not prevent assistant coach Jason Verduzco from doing a good job during the game, Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil said Tuesday.
A general summons was issued to Verduzco alleging he "did intentionally attempt to inflict bodily injury" upon the officer and refused to stop his vehicle.
After an ambulance crew washed the Mace out his eyes, Verduzco was released on a signature bond and permitted to proceed.
Although he was late getting into the stadium, Vermeil said Verduzco "did fine" relaying plays from offensive coordinator Al Saunders in the press box to quarterback Trent Green on the field.
Vermeil said the Chiefs also needed Verduzco for his knowledge of the offense.
Asked if he could tell reporters any more about the incident, Vermeil said, "I could tell you a lot but I'm not going to. I defend him just like I would our own players."
"He's in the second-most pressured situation in the ball game," Vermeil said. "He takes every call and repeats it ... verbatim to the quarterback. And sometimes he has no time left."
"I have never been on the field with a guy who does a better job under pressure than he does," Vermeil said. "Having been a quarterback himself, he coached the quarterbacks and he knows this offense inside-out and backwards. He's a real asset. We could not have given that job to anybody else to do Sunday if he'd really be detained."
KU HALL CENTER TheHall Center Humanities Lecture Series 2005-2006 Tickets Required. Get them FREE at the Lied Center Box Office.
Salman Rushdie
Novelist and essayist; critic of fundamentalist Islam; author of The Satanic Verses and Midnight's Children "Step Across This Line: An Evening With Salman Rushdie"
7:30 p.m.
Thursday, October 6
Lied Center
Co-sponsored by Student Union Activities