SPORTS
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Tuesday, February 14, 1995
3B
NBA All-Stars even bore themselves
West routs East,but game lacks intensity
Jim Litke
AP Columnist
PHOENIX — Charles is nothing if not in charge.
"I was trying hard to be a good host," Charles Barkley said after the West All-Stars steamrolled their Eastern opponents 139-112 Sunday. "The city was trying hard to be a good host. But now we're tired of you all.
"So spend a lot of money tonight," he added, "and get out soon early."
He won't have to tell most people twice. The best thing that can be said about the 45th edition of this glorified playground game is that it didn't involve replacement players. Those were real NBA players playing that bad.
"To think we're going to go out and kill each other all the time, to think every one of these games is going to be 100-100 with five minutes to play. That," Barkley said without "that is unrealistic."
An 18-4 run over the last three and a half minutes of the third quarter carried the West from an 86-77 lead to 104-81 advantage and effectively ended any rooting interest for anyone who hadn't checked in with his bookie beforehand, which apparently included Parkley.
Asked what incentive there was to winning this game, Barkley enunciated slowly: "Two thousand dollars more...
"But it doesn't do me any good," he added a moment later, "now that football season is over."
The NBA season, on the other hand, is exactly at its midpoint, and this was probably not the best year to have a game this bad. With incidents almost weekly, players going after each other, their coaches and now even their fans, there is a growing perception that the league's marquee trio of Jordan, Johnson and Bird has been replaced by guys named Selfish, Unprofessional and Uninterested.
And this contest went only so far toward dispelling that.
COMMENTARY
Explaining how he tried to cope with the creeping boredom late in the game, John Stockton, the veteran Utah Jazz point guard who recently became the league's career assist leader, said, "You just try to keep moving, keep hustling.
"You don't want to fall into the trap of playing for the show and trying to be cool," he said. "It just doesn't work out."
Of course, had Stockton distributed that bit of
clear thinking as easily as he distributed the basketball, all of us could have been spared a few moments of really bad basketball.
Though everyone who saw the game will cull their own lowlights, we are thinking specifically of a three-
minute-or-so stretch in the final quarter when Shaquille O'Neal played point guard for the East with no clue and no particular distinction, and Hakeem Olajuwon did the same for the West. Then Scottie Pippen and Detlef Schrempf exchanged blown layups to
between teammates connected than at any time since guys wearing San Diego Charger uniforms tried playing throw and catch.
Mercifully, that sorry sequence ended with a timeout call by East coach Brian Hill, and the evening's only real entertainment got underway.
At that moment, Knute Rocke couldn't have gotten the attention of the East team. Hill, to his credit, didn't bother trying.
Like their West counterparts, the East squad was caught up watching the Gorilla, the mascot of the Phoenix Suns, make dunk after spectacular dunk by launching himself with an electronically powered catapult.
But it got really mesmerizing when Barkley got in position to take a run at the gadget himself.
Paterno seeks bowl compromise
"I'm a spontaneous type of person," Charles said. "And that looked like a lot of fun. Besides, I could have hit the glass, hurt myself really good, and collected the last two years paying on my back."
The Associated Press
IRVING, Texas — Last season, Penn State failed to win the national championship in football despite a perfect record. Joe Paterno wants to make sure that doesn't happen again.
Rose Bowl still could be barrier in Big Ten's future
If it does, the Nittany Lions coach might support a shakeup that would free the Big Ten and Pac-10 champions from their Rose Bowl commitments so they could play in a bowl-alliance title game.
Big Ten winner Penn State had to play in the Rose Bowl this year, which cost the Lions a shot at No. 1 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. Both teams finished undefeated, but Nebraska beat out Penn State for the national championship.
"I think if the Big Ten and the Pac-10 over a period of time are eliminated from any kind of national championship consideration, then ... somebody will have to address the problem," Paterno said Sunday at the NCAA College Football Forum.
Starting next season, the alliance will try to match the nation's top two teams in the Fiesta, Sugar or Orange bowls, which will take turns playing host to the game. But as long as the Big Ten and Pac-10 champions remain locked into the Rose Bowl, there's a chance the alliance won't get No. 1 vs. No. 2.
Although Penn State has played only two seasons in the Big Ten, Paterno knows his league and the Pac-10 have longstanding ties with the Rose Bowl. However, he said those bonds could be broken if the Rose Bowl connection prevents league members from winning national titles.
"The Big Ten and Pac-10 have such strong ties to the Rose Bowl, they literally don't
care about anything else." Paternos said. "I've not quite been seduced into that kind of thinking yet. To me, national championships are still important."
Under the alliance, champions of other major conferences such as the Big Eight and Southeastern will no longer be obligated to play in specific bowls, thus freeing them to play each other in a possible title game.
Only the Rose Bowl has maintained its traditional ties. That could change if the alliance is a big success.
If that happens, Paterno said, "there's going to have to be a time where we're going to have to look at it and say, 'Yes, what we have is fine, but can we do this or can we do that.'"
Paterno would like to see a four-team playoff after the bowls. But since all playoff proposals have been rejected by the NCAA, he would settle for a system that would guarantee a No. 1 vs. No. 2 bowl game every year.
Dodgers sign all-star Japanese pitcher
Nomo joins pitching staff with other foreign players
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Hideo Nomo, an all-star in Japan, will get a chance to join a Los Angeles Dodgers' pitching staff that is beginning to resemble a mini-United Nations.
Nomo, who will begin his U.S. career in the minors and won't be able to pitch in the majors until the strike is settled, could become the first Japanese athlete to play in the major leagues here and in his own country.
Nomo, who signed with Los Angeles on Sunday, will be given a shot at replacing Orel Hershiser, who was not re-signed, in the starting rotation.
In addition to Tom Candiotti, that staff could include Chan Ho Park of South Korea, Ramon Martinez of the Dominican Republic and Imanel Valdes of Mexico.
Nomo, 26, speaking through an interpreter, said he grew up with a dream of playing in the major leagues in the United States.
today," he said during a press conference at a hotel in the Little Tokyo district, some 10 minutes from Dodger Stadium.
"I am closer to realizing my dream
The press conference drew a large mix of Japanese and American reporters, and at least 15 TV cameras were lined up at the back of the room. A huge banner written in English and Japanese said, "LA Dodgers Welcome Hideo Nomo," and Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully managed a few words of Japanese as he emceed the presentation.
"This is a very happy day for all of the Dodgers," team owner Peter O'Malley said. "For many years, Hideo Nomo has dreamed of pitching in the major leagues. I admire his determination and dedication and I'm delighted that he chose the Dodgers."
The New York Yankees, Seattle, Atlanta,
San Francisco and Colorado also,pursued
Nomo, with the Mariners and Giants
particularly interested.
Asked why he chose the Dodgers over the Giants and Mariners, Nomo replied: "After meeting Peter O'Malley, I wanted to join the Dodgers. ... The difference was Peter O'Malley. The Giants and Mariners did not have a Peter O'Malley."
Nomo won't be able to pitch in the majors during the strike because foreign players are barred by federal labor law from serving as replacements for striking major leaguers.
He said he was not concerned with the baseball strike, saying, "There's not much I can do about it, so I'm not worried about it."
The 26-year-old right-hander, whose high-kicking, twisting delivery has been compared to that of former major leaguer Luis Tiant, led Japan's Pacific League in wins and strikeouts four of the last five seasons. He retired from the Japanese League to play outside his country.
Nomo has a 78-46 record with a 3.15 ERA and 1,204 strikeouts in 1,051 1.3 innings in his five years with the Kintetsu Buffaloes. He has completed 80 of his 139 career starts.
The terms of Nomo's contract were not announced, but he reportedly received a $2 million signing bonus, the highest ever given a non-major league player.
"The only question will be whether he will be one of our best 10 or 11 pitchers coming out of spring training," Dodgers vice president Fred Claire said.
A Good Jayhawk Is Always Prepared. How Prepared Were You?
Attend the 46th Annual Principal Counselor Student Conference to talk to your former counselor and principals about your preparation for and adjustment to KU!
to KU!
COMMUNITY COLLEGES
Allen County — B
Barton County — B
Butler County — B
Cloud County — B
Coffeyville — B
Dodge City — B
Donnelly College — B
Fort Scott — B
Garden City — B
Haskell — B
Highland — B
Hutchinson — B
Independence — B
Johnson County — Regionalist Room
Kansas City Kansas — B
Labette — B
Neosho County — B
Penn Valley — B
Pratt — B
KANSAS HIGH SCHOOLS
KANSAS HIGH SCHOOLS
Andover — B
Arkansas City — B
Atchison — B
Atchison County Community High
Basehor-Linwood — B
Beloit — B
Bennington — Kansas Room
Blue Valley, Stilwell — Oread Room
Blue Valley North — International Ro
Buhler — B
Central Heights — B
Chanute — B
Chaparral — Big Eight Room
Chapman — B
Cherryvale — B
Cimmaron — B
Clay Center — B
Concordia — Big Eight Room
Conway Springs — B
Decatur Community — Big Eight Room
De Soto — Big Eight Room
Dighton — Big Eight Room
Downs — Big Eight Room
El Dorado — B
Elkhart — Big Eight Room
Ellis — Big Eight Room
Emporia — Malotl Room
Eudora — Malotl
The University of Kansas
F.L. Schlagle — B
Field-Kindley — B
Fort Scott — B
J.C. Harmon — B
Jayhawk-Linn — B
Junction City — Malott Room
Immaculata — Parlor C
Independence — B
lola — B
Haven — B
Heiviland — B
Hlawatha — B
Highland — B
Highland Park, Topeka — Alcove D
Hugoton — B
Humboldt — B
Hutchinson — B
PRINCIPAL-COUNSELOR-STUDENT CONFERENCE and COMMUNITY COLLEGE CONFERENCE
Garden City — B
Goddard — B
Great Bend — Malott Room
Greensburg — B
Kickapoo Nation School — Atcove
Wednesday, February 15, 1995
Room Schedule for Student Conferences
10:30 a.m.-12:00 noon
Kansas Union
Madison — Big Eight Room
McLouth — B
Meade — B
Medicine Lodge — Big Eight Room
Mission Valley — Big Eight Room
Moscow — Big Eight Room
Labette County — Alcove D
Lansing — B
Lawrence — Parlor A
Lyons — Big Eight Room
Neodesha — Big Eight Room
Newton — Oread Room
Nickerson — Big Eight Room*
Northern Valley — Big Eight Room
Norton Community — Big Eight Room
Olathe East — Curry Room
Olathe North — Curry Room
Olathe South — Curry Room
Osage City — Big Eight Room
Osborne — Big Eight Room
Otis-Bison — Big Eight Room
Ottawa — Big Eight Room
Paola — Big Eight Room
Parsons — Big Eight Room
Pawnee Heights — Melott Room
Peabody — Big Eight Room
Phillipsburg — Big Eight Room
Plainville — Big Eight Room
Pleasant Ridge — Malibu Room
Quinter B
Russell - Alcove H
Room Guide:
Rooms in the Kansas Union:
B = Ballroom — Level 5
Alcoves — Level 3
Big Eight Room — Level 5
Centennial Room — Level 6
Curry Room — Level 6
English Room — Level 6
Governor's Room — Level 4
International Room — Level 5
Kansas Room — Level 6
Malott Room — Level 6
Oread Room — Level 5
Parlors — Level 5
Regionalist Room — Level 5
Sacred Heart — Kansas Room
Santa Fe Trail — Kansas Room
SE of Saline — Kansas Room
Seaman — Regionalist Room
Shawnee Heights — Alcove G
Shawnee Mission North — English Room
Shawnee Mission Northwest — English Room
Shawnee Mission South — English Room
St. John — Kansas Room
St. Marys — Kansas Room
St. Thomas Aquinas — Alcove I
Stockton — Kansas Room
Sumner Academy — Kansas Room
Syracuse — Kansas Room
Tescott — B
Tonganoxie — Kansas Room
Topeka — Governor's Room
Topeka West — Governor's Room
Turner — Kansas Room
Ulysses — Kansas Room
Washburn Rural — International Room
Washington — Centennial Room
Wathena — Centennial Room
Wichita East — Centennial Room
Wichita Heights — Centennial Room
Wichita Northwest — Centennial' Room
Wichita South — Centennial Room
Wichita West — Centennial Room
Wyandotte — Centennial Room
MISSOURI HIGH SCHOOLS
Netre Dame De Sion — Kansas Room
Park Hill — Kansas Room
Pembroke Hill — Centennial Room
Rockhurst — Kansas Room
Ruskin — Kansas Room