Inside Sports THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN Sports See how the United States' athletes fared yesterday at the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan SEE PAGE 6B Kansas Baseball The Jayhawks will be counting on high-quality pitching as they begin play this weekend. SEE PAGE 3B Wednesday February 11, 1998 Section: B Page 1 Kansas Softball The experienced Kansas softball team is ranked No. 9 and looking for a trip to the College World Series. SEE PAGE 6B Contact the Kansan WWW.KANSAN.COM/NEWS/SPORTS Sports Desk: (785) 864-4810 Sports Fax: (785) 864-5261 Sports e-mail: sports@kansan.com Sports Forum: sptforum@kansan.com Photo Illustration by Augustus Anthony Piazza and Jason Benavides/KANSAN Sign raises free-speech concerns By Jason Pearce Kansan sportswriter University of Kansas student Rick Thomas thought he was pretty clever when he held his sign — "I'm blind, I'm deaf," I wanna be a ref" — at the Kansas-Texas Tech men's basketball game earlier this semester. An Allen Field House usher disagreed. The usher told the Kansas City, Mo., sophomore that the sign was against field house rules. "The usher said she did not want to see a sign that was degrading to the officials end up on television," Thomas recalled. When Thomas cited his First Amendment rights, she confiscated the sign, ripped it in half and threw it away in a nearby trash can. The usher and an Athletics Department policy of censoring signs and banners deemed unsportsmanlike may have violated Thomas' First Amendment rights, attorneys say. But Athletics Department personnel claim the right to censor speech at Allen Field House. This issue boils down to a debate between sportsmanship and free speech. Ron Kuby, a New York City civil rights attorney and KU graduate, said that by taking the sign, the University was attempting to dictate the content of Thomas's speech. Kuby said it was illegal for any part of the U.S. government, including the University, to censor speech it doesn't like. Kuby said there was a generally accepted level of free expression existing at sporting events, and he believed Thomas's sign was within that limit. Ted Frederickson, a professor of journalism who also is an attorney, explained that basketball games are a "dedicated forum" and that the First Amendment covers any opinions that deal with the game. Frederickson said Thomas' sign was appropriate because it was aimed at a sports issue — the quality of the referees. "I agree that we should be nice to people when they come here, but I don't believe that the administration ought to be in the business of deciding what expression is good and what expression is bad," Frederickson said. "That is a violation of the First Amendment." Pat Warren, assistant athletics director and lawyer, said he didn't think that the Athletics Department policy violated the First Amendment. See ATTORNEYS on page 4B Williams' practices include less pain, more gain tgallagher@kansan.com Kansan sportswriter By Tommy Gallagher is lighter. We laugh a lot more." Practices were never a pleasant experience for the Jayhawks under coach Roy Williams. Apparently that trend has begun to change during the past several years. Kahsas guard Ryan Robertson said that team practices had become less arduous with each passing year. "He has changed a lot since I got here," Robertson said. "My freshman year I'd look at the clock with drudgery, thinking the practices would never end. Now practices are easier to handle because the spirit Robertson's opinion was confirmed by some of Williams' former players who returned last weekend for the 100 years of Kansas basketball celebration. Some of the players attended practice Friday and noticed differences. Mark Randall said there were fewer suicide sprites than when he played in 1987 and in 1899-1991. Greg Ostertag said that the atmosphere was more relaxed than he remembered. One reason for the change in practicing style is that the Jayhawks may play, and win, a record number of games this season. Kansas played 36 games last season before losing in the NCAA Tournament. This season, the Jayhawks play as many as 37 games before the tournament even berins. Williams said he had no problem shortening team practices as long as the team's intensity remained high. "I've been concerned about the number of games for quite some time now," Williams said. "I was worried about it because it was cutting into our practice time. But now we have to cut back on the practice time to reduce some of the pressures that have come with the long season." During this season's 18-game non-conference schedule, the Jawhawks played two. three, and sometimes four games per week. Now toward the end of the Big 12 Conference schedule, they are playing no more than two games per week. Robertson said the Big 12 schedule had helped the team catch a second wind as it raced down the stretch run. "We're playing games every two or three days, so I can't think of anyone who should be tired," Robertson said. "February is a tough month because you can see March and the tournament just around the corner, but you have to stay focused on what you're doing now. All those things you've been working for are just over the horizon," he said. Nebraska to guard home record against 'Hawks Bv Kevin C. Wilson Kansan sportswriter Valentine's Day 1993 was the last time the Nebraska Cornhushkins defeated the Kansas women's basketball team. On Jan. 10, the Jayhawks defeated the Cornhushkins in Lawrence 83-74, marking their 11th consecutive win against Nebraska. Kansas guard Lynn Pride takes a rebound from a Kansas State player. Pride will have her hands full guarding Nebraska's All-American guard Anna DeFonge when the Jayhawks travel to Nebraska tonight. Photo by Geoff Krieger/AKSAN Kansas, 15-5 overall and 7-3 in Big 12 play, is looking to grab the attention of the rest of the conference. The Jayhawks will face a daunting tonight when they travel to the Devaney Center, where the Cornhuskers have a 13-0 record. "It's going to be a tough game up there. It always has been," said coach Marian Washington. The 12th victorv will not come easy. "We are in the position to send a message out as to how well we are doing," Washington said. "It's not going to be easy, being on the road, and they're still nationally ranked. It's real important for us to show well against nationally ranked teams." Nebraska, 17.7 overall and 6.4 in Big 12 play, is ranked 24th in the USA Today/CNN Coaches' poll and 28th in the Associated Press poll. The Cornhuskers are led by senior guard Anna DeForge, who scores 18.4 points per game and holds the team high in rebounds, and sophomore Nicole Kubik, who leads the team in assists (4.4) and steals (2.9), and scores 11.4 points per game. Washington said, "Their standout DeForge has not beaten KU in her career, so I expect her to shingle-handedly get this team motivated." Washington has considered using forward Lynn Pride on DeForge, adding to the star's responsibilities. Pride leads the Jayhawks in scoring (15.1) and rebounding (6.9), as well as in steals (2.6) and minutes per game (33.5). Nebraska head coach Paul Sanderford said that he was not focusing on tonight's game as a must win. "In this league every game is an important game," Sanderdock said. "We have six Big 12 The Starting Lineup KANSAS JAYHAWKS 7-3 Big 12, 15-5 overall F LYNN PRIDE 6-2 So. F JACLYN JOHNSON 6-1 Fr. C NAKA SANDFORD 6-3 Jr. G SUZI RAYMANT 5-11 Jr. Nebraska 'HUSKERS 6-4 Big 12, 17-7 overall F JAMIE RUBIK 5-11 SR. F CHARLIE ROGERS 6-2 So. C EMILY THOMPSON 6-3 Sr. G ANNA DEFORGE 5-11 Sr. G NICOLE KUBIK 5-10 So. Allen Field House • Lawrence Washington said matching intensity, working hard and keeping focused were key factors that would lead to a Jayhawk victory. Allen Field House • Lawrence TV: Ch. 11, KTWU Radio: JKHK, 90.7 FM games left, and each one of them is going to be difficult." Commentary Campus style trapped under heavy thumb of inequality At the University of Kansas, student athletes enroll early, have access to a private facility with free tutors and get Nike athletic gear by the oodles. But society has allowed athletes to do something on this campus that the rest of the student body is afraid, in most cases, to do. That is all well deserved. They earn those privileges. Kansas student athletes can wear sweatpants to classes on a regular basis and be accepted by the University community. For the rest of us, wearing sweatpants on campus is a fashion faux pas and a telltale sign that we didn't take a shower. You rarely will see this sight. Adam Herschman herschman@arsan.com Confused? Let Jerry Seinfeld break it down. Let's face it, sweatpants are not at the forefront of the fashion industry. When George Costanza wore sweatpants, Jerry said that George was sending the message to the world, "I give up ... I'm miserable, so I might as well be comfortable." Sweatpants are designed for a few things, like working out and going through drive thrus at banks and Burger Kings. Nobody, after showering, priming their hair, and deciding for an hour what to wear compromises and says, "You know what, I'll wear my green sweatpants. That will send a wave of hipness across Mount Oread." If I were to roam around campus in my sweats, I would be ostracized by the Abercrombie and Fitch Band and Sisters of the North Face Jacket Club. And my social life can't afford for that to happen right now. However, when athletes wear their team Nike sweats to class, it's deemed fashionable. That, my friends, is a double standard. Don't get me wrong. Kansas athletes look stylin' in their sweats, and I encourage the wearing of sweatpants. I understand that they have practice before class and don't have time to change sometimes. But I want to wear sweatpants, too. However, because I'm not an athlete, I'm afraid of the anti-sweatpant sentiment I'd receive on campus if I wore the cozy, cotton-poly pants. The sweatpants example is a microcosm. It's a small case illustrating that student athletes occasionally are viewed in a superior light compared with other members of society. How many times have you seen professors, merit scholars or students at Wescoe Terrace waltzing around in loose-fitting looging pants? I'm trying to promote awareness of the gap between the student athletes and the rest of the student body, which doesn't look as chic in sweatants. I understand that this is a sensitive issue, but this wall should be broken before the more important matters in sports and society are dealt with. I intend to help break that barrier today by wearing sweatpants to class. I have to block out society's glaring eyes. Please don't frown at me, pull your desk away or give me dirty looks on campus. I'm fragile. But at least I'm comfortable. 9 Herschman is a Bloomington, Minn., senior in journalism.