2B
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAHY KANSAN
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2009
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"I am not familiar with the notion of firing someone for failing to sign an extension to a contract."
— Texas tech coach Mike Leach, Leah has two years left on his contract, but if he doesn't sign an extension soon the school may fire him.
Last year Leach earned Big 12 and AP coach of the year honors after going 11-2.
TTU Athletics
TRIVIA OF THE DAY
Q: If Leach signs Texas Tech's current offer, how much would he owe the school for interviewing for another job without permission?
A: $1.5 million. This is the stipulation that Leach said bothers him the most about Tech's contract offer. Said Leach, "I don't have to have hall passes on this one."
www.espn.com
MLB Royals think they can compete in AL Central
SURPRISE, Ariz. — The Kansas City Royals have not been in the playoffs since winning the 1985 World Series but general manager Dayton Moore is saying his team could compete in the AL Central this season.
The Royals won 75 games last season and escaped last place in its division for the first time in five years. In the offseason they added Mike Jacobs, Coco Crisp and Willie Bloomquist.
Associated Press
Academy Awards not just for the ladies
COMMENTARY
Randy "The Ram" Robinson
"You know in this life you can lose everything you love, everything that loves you. Now I don't hear as good as I used to and I forget stuff and I can't as pretty as I used to be, but god damn it I'm still standing here — I'm 'The Ram.'"
I'm not sure how it started, I'm not sure who coined the phrase and I don't know when it was. But some time ago, somebody started calling the Academy Awards "The Super Bowl for Women."
Of course, the Academy Awards are this Sunday, and yes, there are a lot of reasons women might love the Oscars. There's the celebrity factor — the designer dresses and the red carpet close-ups of Brad and Angelina. And there's the whole schmaltzy emotional vibe. You never know when somebody might break down and start blubbering Reese Witherspoon style.
So yeah, normally there are plenty of reasons for women to go Oscar-crazy.
But I'm not so sure about this year. In fact, some might consider this year "guys night at the Oscars." And you can thank Mickey Rourke.
Rourke, of course, is nominated for Best Actor for his role as Randy "The Ram" Robinson in the "The Wrestler." The Morning Brew has been lavishing praise on "The Wrestler" for months. It's a raw and authentic portrayal of a beaten-down former professional wrestler
Rourke is a tour de force. He IS "The Ram."
who is still hanging on.
You probably know Rourke's incredible story. In the 1980s he was an immensely-talented young actor. But because of some poor career decisions and a self-destructive personality, Rourke soon found himself banished from Hollywood's inner circles. College translation: The man partied too hard and cashed his career.
So he turned to professional boxing, a sport he pursued in his youth. Soon, Rourke left boxing and had, more or less, fallen off the acting grid. His story was a cautionary tale to young actors.
Now he's back. And if his name is called on Sunday when they present the Oscar for Best Actor, as it should be, expect one of the most entertaining speeches in Oscar history.
There something special about the relationship between movies and sports. The studios in Hollywood have been making great sports movies for decades. Sports movies have shown up at the Academy Awards, too.
The Oscar for Best Athlete.
Hilary Swarkwon BestActress in
2004 for her role in "Million Dollar Baby." Will Smith was nominated for Best Actor for his portrayal of Muhammad Ali in 2001. Robert De Niro won Best Actor in 1980 for his portrayal of boxer Jake Latta in "The Raging Bull" "Rocky" won Best Picture in 1976. You get the point.
But here's the thing. I love sports movies. But I love it even more when professional athletes show up in movies.
Here's The Morning Brew's Top Active Performances by Athletes
First the honorable mentions: Brett Favres cameo in "Something About Mary." Dennis Rodman in "Double Team," Jim Brown in "Mars Attacks!" the entire cast of "Space Jam," and lastly, a special honor to Dan Marino in "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective." Marino gave us the best line from an athlete in movie history when he said, "Having a little trouble with the ladies, Ace?"
No. 5 former boxer Tommy Morrison in "Roky V"
The worst Rocky movie had a unintentionally hilarious performance from Morrison, who played Tommy Gann, Rocky's new protege.
No. 4. former NBA star Penny
Hurdaway in "Blue Chips"
Shaquille O'Neal also starred in "Blue Chips," one of the best college basketball films ever, but Hardaway was magnificent as Butch McRae, a high-profile recruit from Chicago.
No. 3. Former Boston Brain Cam Neely in "Dumb and Dumber"
But did you know the guy who played Sea Bass — Cam Neely — scored more than 300 goals in the NHL and had his number retired by the Bruins?
Yes, you've seen the movie, and you probably know the scene. "If that guy's name over there is Sea Bass?"
No. 2. Boston Celtic Ray Allen in "He Got Game"
in this Spike Lee Joint, Allen starred opposite Denzel Washington as high profile basketball recruit Jesus Shuttlesworth, and it's still the best movie name ever.
No. 1, O.J. Simpson in "Naked Gun"
Simpson showed great comedic chops as Nordberg in the "Naked Gun" trilogy. But here's what confuses me. It was funnier to watch "Naked Gun" in 1991 and say, "I can't believe O.J. Simpson, a former Heisman Trophy winner, is playing that role?" Or is it funnier to watch it now and say, "I can't believe O.J. Simpson, well, you know..."
Edited by Andrew Wiebe
SWIMMING & DIVING Swimmers' work in the
classroom earns honors
While the Kansas swimming
and diving team was training and competing last fall, its efforts in the classroom also paid off.
The team was honored last
Kansas finished the semester with a combined grade point average of 3.33,the second highest in the Big 12.
week by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America as an Academic All-American Team for the fall 2008 semester.
Kansas had eight members with a 40 grade oint average.
Among them were seniors Jessica Brozek, Anne Liggett, Hannah McMacken and sophomores Amanda Maez, Alyssa Potter and Brittany Potter.
Of the 30 team members,22 of Kansas' swimmers and divers finished with a 3.0 grade point average or higher last semester.
The team also has 18 athletes eligible for Academic Big-12 honors which are announced at the beginning of each semester.
Kansas placed 17 swimmers on the Academic All Big-12 Team for the 2007-2008 season.
This is the third consecutive semester that Kansas has been named an Academic All-American Team.
Last year senior Danielle Herrmann was an Academic All-American honoree and junior Emily Lanteigne was an Honorable Mention Academic All-American honoree.
FOOTBALL Sophomore receiver transfers to Delta State
Hallie Mann
Sophomore wide receiver Xavier Rambo transferred to Division I Delta State University prior to the spring semester, Kansas associate media relations director Mike Strauss and Delta Web's Site confirmed.
The transfer culminates a disappointing tenure with the Jayhawks for Rambo.
Rambo arrived at Kansas in 2006 from South Oak Cliff High School in Dallas. An All-State honoree as a high school senior, Rambo redshifted his freshman year and did not see any game action in 2007 or 2008.
Despite not contributing on Saturdays, Rambo was named Scout Team Offensive Player of the Week once in 2007 and on two occasions in 2008.
Delta State is located in Cleveland, Mississippi, and its football team won the Gulf South Conference in 2007 and 2008 and the NCAA Division II national championship in 2000. The Statesmen advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II football tournament before falling to North Alabama 55-34 last season.
Stephen Montemayor
THURSDAY NIGHT... IS LADIES NIGHT!
...only at THE HAWK
THURSDAY
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THIS WEEK IN KANSAS ATHLETICS
TODAY
Softball
North Carolina,
12:30 p.m.
Palm Springs, Calif.
FRIDAY
Softball
Oregon State,
8 p.m.
Palm Springs, Calif.
Baseball
Baseball
Air Force, 1 p.m.
Millington, Tenn.
Baseball Memphis, 4 p.m. Willington, Tenn.
SATURDAY
Softball
BYU. 2:30 p.m.
Palm Springs, Calif.
1
Tennis
DePaul, 10 a.m.
Iowa City, Iowa
Baseball
Bradley, 1 p.m.
Millington, Tenn.
Men's basketball
Nebraska, 3 p.m.
Lawrence
Softball
UC Santa Barbara,
7:30 p.m.
Palm Springs, Calif.
SUNDAY
.
Baseball
Bradley, 10 a.m.
Millington, Tenn
Tennis Iowa, 11 a.m.
Iowa City, Iowa
Softball California, 11 a.m. Palm Springs, cal.
Softball
Cal Poly, 1 p.m.
Palm Springs, Calif.
Women's basketball Iowa State, noon Lawrence
BEWARE OF "THE BLOG"
@KANSAN.COM
"Blog" Allen: Check Kansan.
com for Case Keefer's "Double Overtime" on "Blog" Allen, the only place you need to go for a witty wrap-up of Kansas basketball.
The Jay Report:
The premiere men's basketball podcast in all the land has a breakdown of Kansas' victory/de defeat against Iowa State last night.
The Give and
Go: Does
Bonnie Ball
have another victory on the schedule? The guys take a look at last night's game and look ahead to the end of the regular season.
MLB
Fans say A-Rod shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame
More than half of baseball fans surveyed say Alex Rodriguez shouldn't make the Hall of Fame after admitting that he used steroids. And as for the game's halloweed records? Those same fans seem to care less and less.
An Associated Press-GFK poll released Wednesday also showed this: Fans are losing interest in the whole steroids issue.
With 553 home runs, Rodriguez is considered likely to break Barry Bonds' career record of 762. Five of the top 12 home run hitters in history — Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro and Rodriguez — have been tainted by allegations of steroid use.
Associated Press