THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAS
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2007
SPORTS
>> NFL
7B
Broncos tied for first place in West
ASSOCIATED PRESS
DENVER — Eighty yards here, 62 there. Next thing they knew, the Denver Broncos found themselves in a spot they only could have dreamed of a few weeks ago --- tied for first place in the AFC West.
Jay Cutler threw touchdown passes of 41 and 48 yards and little-known Glenn Martinez and Andre Hall added to Denver's slew of big scoring plays Monday night in a 34-20 victory over the Tennessee Titans.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Hall, a first-year player with eight carries this year, turned his ninth into a 62-yard score to help the Broncos regain control of the game after they'd watched a 17-point lead slip to seven.
The Broncos improved to 5-5, good enough to tie San Diego for the league in the woeful West.
But suddenly, the Broncos, who have 44-7 and 41-3 losses on their wildly disparate scorecard this year, are playing like real contenders. They piled up 359 yards against the Titans, who were missing Albert Haynesworth on the defensive line but nonetheless came in with the second-ranked defense in the league.
Right: Tennessee Titans safety Chris Hope, right, tries to tackle Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall in the second quarter in Denver on Monday.
Bottom Left: Tennessee Titans wide receiver Roydell Williams, right, is tackled after catching a pass by Denver Broncos cornerbacks Domonie Forworth, top left, and Champ Bailey in the first quarter Monday.
Bottom Right: Tennessee Titans wide receiver Justin Gage is pushed out of bounds after catching a pass for a long gain by Denver Broncos safety Kart Paymiah in the second quarter Monday.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NCAA BASKETBALL
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Knee injury puts Padgett out indefinitely
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville center David Padgett has a fractured right knee cap that will cause him to miss at least 10 weeks — possibly the rest of the season.
"David Padgett (college) career is probably coming to an end," coach Rick Pitino said during a news conference Monday. "We're all devastated for David and for the team."
The fifth-year senior banged the knee in practice last week, Pitino said, and hit it again as he tried to draw a charging foul during No. 6 Louisville's 84-53 win over Jackson State on Sunday. Pitino initially said the injury appeared to be a bruise.
On Monday, Pitino laid out three scenarios for Padgett. The knee could
heal on its own and he could return for the season's stretch run, appeal to the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility, or sit the rest of the season and prepare for the NBA draft.
Padgett has had a history of injuries but began this season pain-free and moving as well as he had since transferring from Kansas after his freshman year.
He broke his foot in a pickup game a month before his sophomore season, then sprained a ligament in his left knee two months later. He underwent surgery on both knees in March 2006 and didn't play for five months.
Padgett estimated himself at 85 percent last year, averaging 9.5 points and 5.6 rebounds.
expected to be the backbone of a team that is already missing senior forward Juan Palacios until December because of a knee injury.
Padget's latest injury has been the hardest to take, Pitino said.
A team captain, Padgett was
"It's the toughest to take personally, because I've seen him fight so hard, be so determined to come back and help the team, so optimistic about having a great senior year team-wise and personally," Pitino said. "It's real difficult to swallow."
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and Kansas fans have so many reasons
the corner, and Kansas fans have so many reasons to be thankful. How ironic, then, that Thanksgiving will mark 10 months to the day a decision that has put a damper on the beginning of the holiday season.
On Jan. 22, Lew Perkins and the Kansas Athletics Department announced they were ripping this year's football game against Missouri away from Lawrence and moving it to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.
Even at the time, the decision was met with lukewarm acceptance. Little did Perkins know that 10 months later, this year's Border Showdown would turn out to be the biggest game in the history of Kansas football. Little did he know he would be risking millions of dollars' worth of BCS money and exposure just to earn $1 million and change the next two years by agreeing to play the next two games on the other side of the border in Arrowhead Stadium
As a result of Perkins' cash grab, Jayhawk Nation will be divided in the stands on Saturday, unable to rally behind its football team as one.
Instead of all of Lawrence being able to unite outside of Memorial Stadium for ESPN's College GameDay, overwhelming any Missouri presence, the Kansas faithful who rise before the sun and pay $22 for parking to make it to Arrowhead before 8 a.m. will have to compete with Tigers fans for position on GameDay. And there'd better be extra security working the game, because after Lee Corso dons his headgear at 11 a.m., fans will have nothing to do but booze until the gates open. Alcohol plus fans who hate each others' guts is an ominous combination.
While Perkins chose to ignore the people of Lawrence, I will not. For those of you who won't get to spend most of your Saturday in the Arrowhead parking lot, I've constructed a special itinerary to keep you entertained.
Fans stuck in Lawrence can enjoy Missouri game
8:59 a.m. — Roll out of bed and tune your televisions to Sunflower Broadband Channel 33 just in time for ESPN's College GameDay. If you have ESPNHD, more power to you.
COMMENTARY
11 a.m. — Once Corso has made his pick by donning his headgear, which will probably be a Tiger (a Jayhawk if the game were in Lawrence), switch over to Food Network on Channel 69 and start working up an appetite during "Everyday Italian." Giada is a babe
11:30 a.m. — Now that you're good and hungry, round up a group of friends and head to
BY SHAWN SHROYER
KANSAN SPORTS COLUMNIST
SSHROYER@KANSAN.COM
Jefferson's Restaurant, a fantastic place on Eighth and Massachusetts streets, to catch lunch and whatever unbeatable ACC game is on ESPN. You can even write something clever on a dollar bill and display it somewhere in the restaurant.
1:30 p.m. — Get back home in time for "Best of the joy of Painting" with Bob Ross on Channel 11, KTWU. If you don't feel better about yourself and life in general by the end of the show, there's son. etching wrong with you.
2 p.m. — Southwind 12's movie times aren't out yet for Saturday, but "No Country for Old Men" should be playing. Based on the reviews, I expect it to be a masterpiece, and with the movie running just more than two hours, you should be able to catch a showing and still have time to spare to find a place to watch the game.
5:30 p.m. — By this time, you could better be finding a parking spot near your sports bar of choice. Again, if you have an HDTV, you might as well invite some buddies over and order a pizza. If not, you could mosey on back to Jefferson's. But if you get there — or any sports bar — after 5:30, you're going to be lucky to find a seat.
7 p.m. — If you stay in for the game, make sure to turn your dial to Channel 9 to see the knock-down, drag-out battle for the Big 12 North between Kansas and Missouri. In all likelihood, Brent Musburian will be doing play-by-play, so you might want to mute the telecast and just listen to nails scraping a chalkboard. If you found a seat in a sports bar, be sure to tip your server.
11 p.m. — Considering how pass-happy Kansas and Missouri are, this game should easily last four hours. When the game does end, go out and celebrate a Kansas victory (or drink away a loss) on Mass. Street.
At this point in the night, Jayhawk Nation will realize just how irresponsible Perkins' decision in January was. When Jayhawk fans could be celebrating (or mourning) together, 50 miles will separate fans in Lawrence from those still stuck in the Arrowhead parking lot.
Edited by Matt Erickson
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