4A = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
MONDAY,APRIL28,2003
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Kristi Henderson editor
Kristi Henderson
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REALITY CHECK
EDITORIAL BOARD
Jilted fans need to support Bill Self
lemmerti Bear for The University of Dayton Kaiser
lennerti Bear for The University of Dayton Kaiser
While the dust continues to settle after Roy Williams' untimely departure to coach at North Carolina, a new era of Kansas basketball begins. As students, we shouldn't forget the 15 years of great things Williams did for our future alma mater, but it is time that we begin to prepare for and support the coaching era of Bill Self.
In light of his achievements in his head coaching career, we shouldn't be surprised if Self's tenure at Kansas equals or even surpasses those of the great Jayhawk basketball coaches before him. In less than 10 years as a head coach, Self made two Division I programs, Tulsa and Illinois, nationally prominent. He's earned national coaching honors and consecutive Big Ten titles in a growing list of accolades. Every indication points to future accomplishments of great magnitude at Kansas, and if Self continues the success of his past coaching jobs, they will come with lightning speed
the national sports media portrayed our University largely as a bunch of frustrated whinners (which we had every right to be) after Williams abruptly took off for his North Carolina press conference. Williams could have been slightly more tactful in how he chose to end a 15-year relationship with the University. However, we shouldn't allow the University to adopt a complaining image despite the residual mixed feelings harbored for Williams.
This can be accomplished in large part by embracing Self and everything we hope his career brings to Kansas' great basketball tradition. Self, fulfilling all the criteria of successor to a century of great basketball names at Kansas, will fare far better if he is allowed the support he deserves from all members of the Jayhawk community to lead our historic program into another great era.
We retain the right to express feelings of discontent and abandonment in light of Williams' recent decision to leave, and the media can say whatever they want. We know the perception that the Jayhawk community didn't "take care" of coach Williams couldn't be any further from the truth. But our next challenge will be to redirect that vital support to coach Self.
Make sure through any means letters of support, attending Late Night — that coach Self knows he is welcome as a Jayhawk. Self's record should speak loudly for his potential as the next great thing in Kansas basketball. For the betterment of Kansas fans, players and the extended community, it is time to set our focus on the future.
Sean Peuzuuskie for the editorial board
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Self realizing his dream
As a KU graduate (journalism, 1969) and former University Daily Kansan sports editor and editor-in-chief, I am ecstatic that the powers at Kansas opted for Bill Self as the new basketball coach.
I am currently the head of the department of journalism at the University of Illinois and have watched Self closely for the past three years.
He is a dynamic coach who has an ability to establish a strong rapport with his players and creates a strong family atmosphere. He also teaches an aggressive, tough style of basketball. Think back a couple of years when the Illini beat up the Jayhawks during the NCAA Tournament, knocking the Drew Gooden-led team out of contention. He also not only survived, but thrived in the Big Ten—a conference known for its physical brand of basketball. Ask Bobby Knight about that.
As a member of the faculty at the University of Illinois, I know students and other folks here in Champaign-Urbana are hurting. Some feel betrayed
— not unlike Jayhawk fans in Lawrence when Roy Williams made what I always considered his inevitable trek back to his basketball roots at North Carolina.
But most of the students and faculty here at the University of Illinois understand and respect Bill Self's motivations for taking the Kansas job.
It's all about dreams.
Roy Williams always dreamed of being the head coach at North Carolina. Bill Self always has dreamt of being the head guy at Kansas.
When I left the University of Kansas 33 years ago, my dream was to be foreign correspondent for the Chicago Tribune. As with Roy and Bill, I achieved my dream and did that job for more than 25 years. Unlike Roy and Bill, however, my dream job brought with it much more modest financial rewards. Nevertheless, there is nothing quite like achieving one's dream job.
Congratulations to Kansas for having the wisdom to select Bill Self and congratulations to Illinois for being so gracious in allowing a popular coach achieve his dream.
Bohl's dismissal unjustified
Ron Yates, head, department of journalism University of Illinois
It is with heavy hearts that Allen Bohl and I are leaving a community that we have both grown to love. We want to thank the kind people from across Kansas who have supported us, despite the fabricated, brutal media attacks on my husband's character.
Dear Lawrence.
Cowards hiding behind unsub-
staniated "opinions" care little about how their "opinions" affect human lives.
I have read that Allen should have been politically dismissed months ago. No logical reasons have been reported, other than a basketball coach said it was "him or me!"
Allen's report card as athletic director of the University of Kansas was impressive. The criteria a chancellor could have chosen to evaluate him on showed stellar accomplishments in:
Diversity
Academics
Equity
Improved competition
- Improved accountability and service by all athletic staff
The chancellor never took the time to give Allen a written evaluation, something that could have documented improvements and guided a new administrator.
Allen's misfortune was that he trusted people to be honest. He elevated all senior staff to new positions of increased authority. Richard Konzem, in particular, used his new position in negative, rather than positive ways.
Other areas that Allen focused on were changes in football and baseball staffs, dramatic improvement in football attendance and Williams Fund growth.
It seems the chancellor chose to have meetings with Roy Williams, rather than to bring any hidden disagreements to the surface.
Did Roy and the chancellor purposefully work behind the scenes with major donors, instead of bringing perceived problems face to face with Allen?
Allen was politically dismissed because of the perception that a choice had to be made: Allen or Roy. This may have been instigated by a hidden jealousy over the renewed focus/funding of the football program.
Points of concern could have been worked out months ago in an ethical, professional fashion if all parties would have been privileged to discussions.
Every concern and/or request that Roy brought to his athletic director's attention was addressed in an earnest, timely fashion.
Allen was condemned for his enthusiasm for people, especially students. He genuinely loved the Jayhawk student-athletes and University students. He had words of encouragement for all athletes, not just the perceived stars. University students responded enthusiastically when he went into the crowds to interact with them. Allen also toured the state, enthusiastically reaching out to alumni and fans, always praising Jayhawk sports programs.
Big donors and the chancellor had no choice: Al was dismissed and now Roy would stay.
Attacks were made on Allen's qualifications to lead an athletic department. He earned a Ph.D in athletic administration from Ohio State University in 1978 and has had a wonderfully successful life in athletics for 25 years.
Most notably, the NCAA has selected him to review and certify the athletic programs at Utah State, Oregon State, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma.
Despite all of the frenzy with the media, he recently was contacted by the NCAA to review and certify the athletic program at the University of Notre Dame in January 2004.
I want to thank the excellent professors in the School of Education, especially Diane Nielsen. Their contributions to the prestige of this fine university are examples of what is most important to higher education.
I will be forever proud to be an alumna of the University of Kansas.
Rock Chalk!
Sherry Bohl, wife of former Athletics Director Allen Bohl
SUBMITTING LETTERS AND GUEST COLUMNS
The Kansan welcomes letters to the editors and guest columns submitted by students, faculty and alumni.
The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length, or reject all submissions. For any questions, call Amanda Sears or Lindsay Hanson at 864-4924 or e-mail at
The Kansan will run as many submissions as possible that conform to these guidelines.
opinion@kansan.com.If you have general questions or comments, email the readers' representative at readersrep@kansan.com.
GUEST COLUMN GUIDELINES
Maximum Length
word limit
Include:
Author's name
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Also:
The Kansan will not print guest columns that attack another columnist.
Guest columnists need to come to room 111
Stauffer-Flint Hall to have their pictures taken.
LETTER GUIDELINES
Maximum Length:
200 word limit
Include:
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SUBMITTO
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For more comments, go to www.kansan.com
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Can someone please explain to me why it seems like every sorority girl is obsessed with Phi Deit?
I just wanted to say that I'm watching Dr. Phil, and it's about oral sex, and they keep interrupting to broadcast the weather, and I think they're interrupting because oral sex is illegal in Kansas.
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I was just wondering how to get tickets for that there Poon-tang Monologues.
The political cartoon in the Wednesday April 23 issue of the UDK is just repulsive. What a simplistic, moronic idea of international politics. It's just very depressing to think what college students these days are actually believing.
You don't like KUJH? No one really cares. Our ratings show that lots of people like us, and we don't care if one little person doesn't.
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if masturbation was a sport, I think I'd be big 12 Newcomer of the Year.
I cannot wait for Best Buy to open and for those junky, locally-owned record stores to go out of business.
I just wanted to call in about KUJH. I just wanted to say that I think they're doing a great job covering Lawrence and KU news, and to keep up the good work.
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if masturbation was a sport, I think I'd be big 12 Newcomer of the Year.
I love the Triangles.
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So I'm sitting here watching True Life:
I'm Breaking Up With My Boyfriend. And
people wonder why people in the
Mideast don't like Americans.
if masturbation was a sport, I think I'd be big 12 Newcomer of the Year.
if masturbation was a sport, I think I'd be big 12 Newcomer of the Year.
After seeing Rocky Horror, I want to have sex with everybody!
Girls using other girls' vibrators is like me using my roommate's hand.
Hey, I gotta know this. How come the chicks don't like the fat guys? What the hell is up with that?
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if masturbation was a sport, I think I'd be big 12 Newcomer of the Year.
I just heard one of my girl friends say he wants a breast reduction.
According to George Bush and Saddam Hussein, both of their armies are acting on God's behalf. Is God on our side? Will God love us when we kill the children?
If you're handicapped, that's a travesty. But it's also a travesty to take up two spaces on Mass. Street and not have to pay for parking.
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Lucifer is my favorite angel. What's yours?
So you got raped when you were 12, and you got pregnant. That sucks. But how exactly does that justify you violently, violently murdering your own defenseless baby?
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Detroit Rock City rules. Ob-gyno forever.
Anyone else notice that Fred Phelps' homophobic militia is all poor, white trash?
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To the text commentator for Friday, don't tell me that whatever's legal is morally right. My ancestor were enslaved for 400 years because it was legal.
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I'd just like to say to the anti-abortion activists, you should educate yourself on the reality of life before abortion was legal. Should we return to the days of hangers and poisons and crooked doctors in dark allews?
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I am pro-choice and pro-marijuana
Keep your laws off my bong.
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