TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2003
SPORTS
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 3B
Sports world concerned about potential war,attacks
The Associated Press
Oakland pitcher Tim Hudson knows he's supposed to be excited about opening the major league baseball season in Japan, and if the world situation were less precarious, he probably would be.
Instead, with the United States preparing for war, Hudson is worried about the March 25 to 26 games against Seattle.
"We may as well have big targets on our backs saying, 'We're Americans, come bomb us,'" Hudson said yesterday. "I'm definitely going if the team goes, but I wouldn't want my family to come along. It's too dangerous."
Signs of concern over a possible war with Iraq are spreading in the world of sports: Tiger Woods
withdraws from a tournament in the Mideast, passing up a $2 million appearance fee; two college basketball players turn their backs on the U.S. flag during the national anthem; NFL Europe players worry about traveling.
Teammate Scott Hatteberg understands Hudson's concern about their trip to Tokyo.
"When your country is about to go to war, it could cause problems." Hattieberg said. "I'm still excited about going; it's just bad timing."
Mariners pitcher Joel Paneiro, the team's player representative, has his own misgivings.
"We just have to hope for the best," he said. "I've got to worry about throwing strikes. I can't let it affect me. None of us can let it affect us."
Plenty of athletes have been
thinking more about safety than wins or losses-or paydays.
Woods gave up the big check from the Dubai Desert Classic because he knows the United Arab Emirates is 900 miles from Iraq.
"It's just not a safe environment over there right now," the world's No. 1 golfer said. "I don't think it would be wise for me to go over there at this particular time."
Wide receiver Eugene Baker, trying to establish himself in pro football, has fewer options. He is heading for Berlin, where the NFL Europe season starts April 5.
"The danger is in the back of your mind," he said. "But Europe is supposed to be pretty safe if there's war. This is my first time going over. My mom's more nervous than me. But she doesn't want to scare me so she keeps it to herself."
The A's and Mariners are headed for Japan, but Kevin Millar is not. He pulled out of a $6.2 million, two-year deal with Japan's Chunichi Dragons, citing concerns about playing overseas if there is a war. It helped that the Boston Red Sox offered him a $5.3 million deal.
The head of Japan's soccer federation said that two matches scheduled for late March in the United States would be canceled because of worry about a war.
"Even if no war breaks out,
there is no telling how things will
turn out." Saburo Kawabuchi
said. "It's not worth taking unnecessary risks."
The next major event on America's sports calendar is the NCAA men's basketball tournament. CBS is in the first year of an 11-year, $6 billion deal with the NCAA — but the network also is preparing to shift coverage to cable networks in the event of war.
Two female basketball players, Toni Smith of Manhattanville and Deidra Chatman of Virginia, protested U.S. foreign policy by turning their backs to the flag during the national anthem.
Two weeks ago, Purdue coach Gene Keady was angry after his team lost to Ohio State and someone suggested the players were down.
"Why would they be down on themselves?" he said. "Send
them off to Afghanistan and they'll get fired up real quick.
Terror jitters shook the America's Cup yacht races in New Zealand when a group calling itself "September 11" threatened the U.S., Australian and British embassies in New Zealand, warning it had 55 pounds of cyanide.
In November, former East German soccer coach Bernd Stange signed a four-year contract to coach soccer in Iraq, with a clause allowing him to withdraw in case of war. On Thursday, he left the country after the German Foreign Ministry warned about 20 of its citizens about the danger of being there.
Stange wrote a letter to each of his players, saying: "I pray to God that he guards you and your family."
Six Big 12 teams could land in tournament
The Associated Sports
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — This time around, Colorado may not have to wait almost three decades between appearances in the NCAA tournament.
The Buffs, who broke a 28-year drought when their 1996-97 team got a bid, may be on the verge of
going back to what pundits call "the big dance."
For one thing, they
finally got a Big 12 road win — beating Baylor 72-59 Saturday in its last road game. But they also have their best point guard back in action.
Senior Mookie Wright, who was placed on probation Jan. 24 in connection with an incident in another student's dorm room, was cleared to play a few hours before
the team plane left for Waco.
He came off the bench and had only 8 points and one assist. But Wright's experience and court presence could make a huge difference for the Buffs (17-10, 7-7 Big 12), who finish the regular season this week with home games against Oklahoma State and Nebraska.
Their NCAA credentials are already bolstered with quality home victories over nationally ranked Missouri, Kansas and Texas. Beating Oklahoma State tomorrow night would give the Buffs a school-record four victories over nationally ranked foes while setting a Coors Events Center record with 11 straight victories.
"There was a lot of talk about us not being able to win on the road, and certainly we hadn't played well on the road, other than the last game at Baylor," Colorado coach Ricardo Patton said yesterday.
"But I don't know if you were to take the point guard off any team in the Big 12 that they would have had a lot of road success. If you take T.J. Ford off Texas, you'd see a different team, particularly on the road."
If Colorado gets in, it would almost surely mean the Big 12 would receive at least six NCAA bids. It would also be a big boost for Patton's up-and-coming program.
"The fans have really been very supportive this year. We've had great crowds." Patton said. "It would be a great plus for our program. It helps you in recruiting and it just moves your program in the right direction. We've spent some time building toward this."
A long shot possibility for an NCAA bid is Texas Tech, which lost to Kansas last night before it ending its season at Baylor on Saturday.
After going 23-9 and tying for
third in the Big 12 last season in Bob Knight's first year, the Red Raiders went into last night's game with a 16-9 record overall. 6-8 in conference.
"I think we have played basketball better more often this year than we did last year." Knight said.
The Red Raiders have also missed the departed Andy Ellis more than many people might expect, Knight said.
"I think had Andy Ellis returned to this year's team, instead of playing well, for the most part, and playing teams closely, I think we would have beaten teams," Knight said. "Having Andy's presence would have made this a pretty good team."
Missouri, which appeared to be a bubble team just a week ago, greatly strengthened its chance of being the Big 12's fifth NCAA队 with victories last week over then-No. 3 Oklahoma and Kansas State.
Chiefs boost defense by signing linebacker
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs took the first step toward revamping their league-worst defense yesterday by signing free agent linebacker Shawn Barber to a seven-ear deal.
Barber, who had 93 tackles and two interceptions with the Philadelphia Eagles last year, should help bolster the Chiefs' awful defense, which allowed more points and yardage last season than any other in franchise history.
Barber said the deal — the terms of which were not disclosed — came together quickly because the Chiefs were the top team on his list and he was the top linebacker on the team's list.
experience that should improve our defense immediately."Chiefs defensive coordinator Greg Peterson said in a statement. "He has played with one of the top defenses in the NFL in Philadelphia. We look for him to bring that experience with him to our defense."
Barber, an athletic outside linebacker, will move from a defense ranked fourth in the league to the team ranked 32nd last season, one that allowed the league-high in both yardage and first downs.
Barber said he was drawn to Kansas City by coach Dick Vermil.
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