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University Daily Kansan
Friday, Nov. 19, 1954
By TOM LYONS Kansan Sports Editor
Again, Kansas City will be the host of the 1955 NCAA basketball playoffs, the advent of a major league baseball club, and what could be termed the baseball "World Series." Kansas Citians will enjoy both.
The one-time prairie town is really growing up.
But why did A. C. "Dutch" Lonborg select Kansas City as the site for the playoffs? Mr. Lonborg was appointed by the NCAA to make the selection. Of course, Lonborg has always maintained that Kansas City is the ideal place for the playoffs—and most of the NCAA officials agreed. One of the reasons is the excellent facilities afforded by the city's auditorium.
It is one of the most beautiful and functional in the country.
But the main reason Lonborg chose the spacious Kansas City Municipal auditorium is because past experience has shown rather conclusively that the citizens of the city will support the NCAA while other cities will not. Empty seats in past playoffs in Seattle and Minneapolis plagued NCAA officials for years until the Kansas City site was decided on two years ago.
Since that time, the officials have been quite pleased with the crowds in Kansas City. Last year both nights were a sellout, and block-long lines waited hours for tickets to the final game between Bradley and La Salle.
Are Kansas Citians just basketball crazy? They must be, because no Big Seven team was even in the playoffs last year, yet the crowds turned out.
We all remember 1953 when KU was in the playoffs and galloped on to the final game with Indiana. Indiana won the NCAA championship that year, 68-67. Seats for the final game were sold out as soon as persons knew KU would be in the playoffs and before the games had even started.
Even television doesn't seem to dampen the large crowds at Kansas City. The NCAA games played there have all been televised to a large area. Yet Kansas Citians prefer to pour into the auditorium, fight for parking space, and pay large sums for tickets from scalpers.
Maybe this is one of the reasons Arnold Johnson, new owner of the Kansas City Athletics, knew the citizens of the city would support a major league team.
And these same persons support the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national championship playoffs each year with the same vigor. This is a week-long tournament with 32 teams participating.
Back to parking, the new Municipal auditorium garage will be completed by next September and will provide space for 1,200 cars on three underground levels. Work began on the project in March and will cost $314 million.
KU, MU to Renew Nation's 5th Oldest Grid Rivalry
Kansas and Missouri rekindle the nation's fifth oldest football rivalry Saturday at Columbia for the 63rd time. Save for the Wisconsin-Minnesota encounter, part of which is played west of the Mississippi river, it also is the most ancient gridiron feud in the western half of the nation.
The Gophers and Badgers collide for the 64th time Saturday at Madison. The only other games which outrank the Jayhawk-Tiger border warfare are Lafayette - Lehigh, Yale-Princeton, and Yale-Harvard.
The Tigers whipped Kansas State and Iowa State, both victors over Kansas, tied Colorado, a team which shutout the Jayhawks, 27-0, and played tighter defeats at the hands of Nebraska and Oklahoma.
This is no surprise in view of KU's winless record in its first nine games and the comparative scores against six common opponents. The only game in which the Jaya-hawks fared better was against SMU, and that by a single point in the losing spread. The Mustangs defeated MU, 25-6, and stopped KU, 36-18.
Kansas has not won at Columbia since 1946 and a victory there this outing would constitute one of the season's major upsets. The Jayhawkers have been established as 26-point underdogs.
Kansas has led by from one to ten games since it reaped two successive victories at the rivalry's inception in 1891 and 1892. The two elevens haven't played a tie since the 0-0 game here in 1937.
A quick look at statistics discloses the Jayhawks and Tigers are more closely matched than any of these traditional enemies. The fact is, the Bengals, by following through their favorite's role Saturday, can level the entire series at 28-28-7. This would manufacture the first series tie of all-time.
Kansas could erase virtually every disappointment from a poor season by searing a reversal at Columbia. Missouri too can gain solace and stature from a win. The Tigers, heavy Orange bowl favorites at the season's outset, now must tie the Jayhawks, and beat or tie Maryland to insure a better than 500-season. They now stand 3-4-1.
Coach Chuck Mather is scheduled to start five sophomores, end Don Martin and LaVern Fiss; guard Dick Todd, center Frank Black, and left half Terry McIntosh.
Like Table Tennis? Then Enter Tourney
Dick Reich, varsity center remains on the doubtful list and probably will not see action in the season's final game with Missouri Saturday.
Also on the injured list is Tommy Webb, reserve fullback. Frank Black, 218 pound Lawrence sopho-more will replace Reich.
Webb, Reich Are On Injured List
Schulz the Tailor
Coach Chuck Mather devoted most of the practice session to pass defense in an effort to neutralize the Missouri aerial attack which will probably be sparked by the passing of Vic Eaton, 193-pound St. Joseph, Mo., quarterback, who is leading the conference in passing. Coach Mather will take about 35 men to Columbia Saturday, and will start four sophomores. They are halfback Terry McIntosh, guard Dick Todd, end Bill Bell, and guard Bob Preston.
Coach Mather said the team will practice again when it arrives in Columbia, if weather permits.
Persons interested in participating in a table tennis tournament scheduled for Dec. 6 and 7, should register at the information booth at the Student Union building. The tournament will be held in the ballroom.
Popular priced made-to-measure suits cost no more than ready made suits and what's more they fit- See
924 Mass.
He will run on the American team in the Pan-American games at Mexico City, Feb. 12 to 19. He will compete only in the 1,500 meters.
Wes Santee, America's top miler,
has accepted invitations to partici-
pate in the Pan-American games
and in an exhibition mile at the
half-time of the Pro Bowl game
Jan. 16 at Los Angeles.
Bob McMillan, former Occidental mile star, will provide Santee's main opposition in the exhibition run at the pro football game in the Los Angeles Coliseum.
Santee to Run In L.A. Coliseum
Men and women's singles are scheduled to be played, but doubles contests may be arranged if enough persons enter the tournament.
The entry deadline will be Dec. 4.
The Missouri Tigers got on the scales yesterday as Coach Don Faurot compared weights with those at the start of the season. Figures showed the average weight of the backfield players sagged from 196 to 192 pounds. The biggest loser was fullback Bob Bauman, who dropped eight pounds to 191 to become the lightest back. Rain kept the team indoors and they polished plays for the invasion by Kansas Saturday.
Further information about the tournament may be obtained from Harry Ghahramanian, phone 2454.
Tiger Players Lose Weight
By UNITED PRESS
GOING TO MISSOURI?
Phone 3380
6th and Mass.
Bridge Standara
DON'T TAKE CHANCES-
Drive in before you leave Lawrence
Make sure your car is completely serviced for the trip.
Cheering fullbacks ...
calls for greenbacks!
GET 'EM BY TELEGRAM!
Having a big time at the big game costs money. If you need financial reinforcements, flash home your fund appeal by telegram. Instead of a lecture on Economics, you'll get back coin of the realm as requested.
It's just Basic Psychology. A telegram is always something "special" — always gets attention—gets results. So use 'em for any purpose—invitations, greetings, reservations. Just call your Western Union office.
when it means business it's wise to wire WESTERN UNION
703 Massachusetts Tel. 2764 or 2765