Sports
University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, October 25, 1989
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Andrew Morrison/KANSAN
David Skall, Cleveland freshman, plays a pick-up game of football with friends. Students were taking advantage of uneasonably warm weather with yesterday's high reaching 81. Highs in the 70s are expected through the weekend.
Bombs Away
Stewart, Tubbs named Big-8 best Co-coaches of decade helped league attract national attention
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — At the beginning of the 1980s, Big Eight basketball was mostly joked about when compared with the Big Ten and the ACC conferences.
At the same time, Missouri coach Norm Stewart had some of the finest players ever seen in the conference and was about to embark on a four-year championship run.
At Oklahoma, things were much different. Almost entirely lacking in basketball tradition or prospects, the Sooners had just hired a new coach from Lamar named Billy Tubbs who provided reputation for fast-paced offense.
Now, at the close of the decade, Norm Stewart looks back on five Big Eight titles for the past 10 years, and Tubus looks back on four. Nobody but Tubus and games in the '80s than Tubus, and no more league titles than Stewart.
Continuing their neck-and-neck competition, Tubbs and Stewart were named Big Eight co-coaches of the 2013 season in voting by a panel of 20 observers.
'Every year I tell my team to make me coach of the year because
that would mean we had a good season," Tubba said. "Now, to be a co-coach of the decade, I guess that must mean we've had a pretty good decade. It's a nice honor for me, but it's really an honor for the team and for our players."
Stewart, who is returning this year after being sidelined last season by cancer, has become good friends with Tubbs.
"That's a pretty good pair of mules, isn't it, Francis and Mr. Ed." he joked when told he and Tubbs were co-honores. "It's an honor. But it's only 10 years. If it had been for 50, it would have really been good."
Most observers think that the Big Eight's basketball fortunes began to improve when Tubbe recruited Wayman Tisdale in 1882 and Kansas' Larry Brown brought in Danny Manning in 1985.
"What really helped turn our league around was that Wayman was such an exciting player, and he brought television into our league like it's never been brought in before," Tubbs said. "People jumped on him as a star, and that's when Oklahoma came into play on the national TV scene. It wasn't only because Wayman was an all-American. He had so many things to add to the game, and I think the word for it is charisma.
Norm Stewart
"Here we are this year, losing two all-Americans, and we have 10 national appearances scheduled on television this year. With Wayman comming in, and Manning coming in, that what's made our league take off. Those two players really set things up for our league."
"Now we are known as an exciting
Billy Tubbs
conference. It started happening because Manning and Tisdale were in demand for television appearances. They paved the way."
Manning and Tisdale were the only unanimous choices for the first team all-decade squad, and Manning was named player of the decade. The 20 voters named Tubbs and Stewart on seven first place ballots each. Brown got the other six.
"To be tied with Norm is quite an honor." Tubbs said.
Johnson gives in to unhappy Dallas fans 'Too Tall' Jones will start, but rookie Tolbert to take over
The Associated Press
IRVING, Texas — Dallas coach Jimmy Johnson has allowed Cowbirds fans to override one of his decisions.
The team's switchboard was flooded yesterday with more than 200 calls from people unhappy with the announcement that defensive lineman Ed "Too Tall" Jones had lost his starting job after 15 seasons.
Taken aback by the reaction,
Johnson compromised.
“OK, we'll start him. If that's what the fans want, we'll keep Ed in there,” the first-year coach said. “So he see him start 200 consecutive games.”
But Cowboys fans wanting to see
Jones play had better be on time for Sunday's game against the Phoenix Cardinals.
Jones will play the first several plays at left defensive end before giving way to rookie Tony Tolbert, who is expected to play a majority of the game.
Johnson announced Monday that he had decided to bench Jones in favor of Tolbert, a move that would have ended Jones' streak of 198 consecutive starts in non-strike games. Jones took a year off from the NFL to pursue a boxing career.
"Ed has an injured knee that has kept him out of practice," Johnson said in explaining the reasoning behind the lineup switch. "Ed will be the first to tell you we need to do what
is in the best interest of the Cowboys to win football games."
At 07, the Cowboys are the Nets only winless team. They have lost 17 of the last 18 games dating to last season.
Jones, at 38 the oldest defensive player in the NFL, was moved inside two weeks ago but the 6-foot-9 frame that made him so fearsome on the outside has made him an easy target for opposing inside linemen. He has one tackle and one assist in the two games since moving inside.
Dean Hammel will start in Jones' spot at one of the tackles, a position depleted by injuries to Mark Walen
"it's easy for an offensive lineman to get under you." Jones admitted.
and Danny Noonan.
Players were off Tuesday and Jones was not available for comment. On Monday, he had defended Johnson's decision to go with Tolbert, who has started at left defensive end the last two weeks.
"Tony is the future of the team and you've got to give him experience," Jones said. "I'm looking at it from a coaching standpoint."
Holtz promises punishment for players involved in fight
Jones hasn't announced that this would be his last NFL season. He usually waits until the off-season to decide if he will play again.
"Ed is a true pro and a first-class guy," Johnson said. "It was a difficult decision to make."
The Associated Press
Yet at his weekly news conference,
Holtz weaved back and forth, holding
his players blameless at one point,
then later 'promising disciplinary
action.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz tried to polish the tarnished image of his football team yesterday, vowing to punish any player involved in the pregame faces with USC and vowing to resign if it happened again.
And while accepting responsibility for the fight, the third involving Notre Dame players since last fall, Holtz implied that USC may have been at fault, too. When pressed on the point, Holtz passed on the opportunity to absolve the Trojans and called the question "irrelevant."
On at least one crucial point; however, he was unchanged.
"We at Notre Dame take responsibility for that thing occurring," he said.
In Los Angeles, Trojan coach Larry Smith, who angrily blamed Notre Dame after Saturday's game, declined to talk about the incident, said USC sports information director Tim Tessalone.
Tessalone said Richard Rosenthal, Notre Dame athletic director, had called to apologize and "assured us they were working to correct the situation." The top-ranked Fighting Irish won the game, 28-24.
When Notre Dame played Miami on Oct. 15, 1988, the teams clashed in a pregame melee inside Notre Dame's narrow stadium tunnel. Holtz dismissed that incident as a misunderstanding, saying Miami players mistakenly believed Notre Dame players rushing off the field were going to attack them.
At the 1898 Fiesta Bowl, Holtz himself rushed onto the field to settle his players, who had started taunting and showing West Virginia players with only minutes remaining and the Mountaineers far behind in scoring.
"We were completely out of line, and I've said that before." Holtz said.
But the incident with USC may have been different, at least in the mind of Holtz and his players.
"The connotation that our football players tried to instigate this or start it — I can't agree with that," he said. In explaining events leading to the fight, Eoltz said practice areas on the field were carefully divided to allow each team space to run plays and punt.
Holtz said he sent a letter of apology to USC and would take precautions to ensure that such incidents did not happen again.
KU golf team is sixth at tournament in Tulsa
By Gene King
Kansan sportswriter
The men's golf team finished sixth at the Ping/Tour "Nils Inter-collegiate tournament Friday through Sunday.
Kansas shot 301-308-300 for a team score of 909.
Kansas was just 12 shots off the winner, the University of Tulsa.
"I don't think anybody was real pleased with their game," Coach Ross Randall said.
"The first and third rounds were pretty good. We are making some improvements."
Handall said the Jayhawks did not shoot well in the second round for a number of reasons.
"The course was tough, and some golfers started out poorly and had to struggle to get back" he said.
Kansas golfer Sean Thayer was in third place after his first-round 72. He dropped back in the second round, shooting 78. Thayer finished the tournament tied for eighth with a total 225. The winning score, a three-round 218, was shot by Chris Riley of Tulsa.
"Sean is doing a fine job," Rand said. "He needs to set his sights a little higher, though."
Other individual KU scores were
Len Johnson, 227; Jon Bruning,
229; John Ogden, 231; and Jim
Young, 232.
Thayer said he was impressed with the course. "It was a tough course. I bogeyed the last two holes."
Randall said the Tulsa Country Club course was tougher than he had expected.
"It was a really good, tough course," Randall said.
Officers arrest MU player for drunken driving
The Associated Press
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Adrian Jones, star defensive back for Missouri, was arrested yesterday for drunken driving and speeding, police said.
Jones, 20, a senior cornerback from Dania, Fla., was released after posting a $250 bond. He was scheduled to appear in court Friday afternoon.
Coach Bob Stull said yesterday that he had not yet seen a report on the incident and could not comment on possible disciplinary action.
"I always guard judgment until we
say out exactly what happened," he said.
Stull said he talked to Jones about the arrest but would not comment on their discussion. He said he was more worried about negative publicity Jones might suffer than how the arrest might affect the football team.
Players' apathy dissipates as Series approaches
The Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO — Finally, a bright day at the World Series.
Candlestick Park is safe, the weather forecast looks good and the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants worked out with spirit yesterday, exactly one week after an earthquake shook the Bay area.
The weather also seemed ready to cooperate. After a week of scattered seasonal Weather Service predicted clear skies for the weekend.
"It's as safe as any structure can be, before or after an earthquake," he said.
Concert promoter Bill Graham said that his options included postponing the show for a day or having the Rolling Stones play at the Coll-
"We know the definite date we're going to play and we need to get ready." Will Clark said before a soggy, but sunny, Giants's practice.
Candlestick Park, meanwhile, is set to go for Game 3 Friday evening. Your Art Agas certified the stadium yesterday as structurally sound.
But it might rain before then, so the Athletics are going to their spring training camp today in Phoenix for workouts. They will leave this morning and return tomorrow evening.
accumulating more frequent-flier miles than they ever expected at a subway series.
concerts."
"If they could guarantee we could do everything we planned, it would
We're feeling a lot better now because we know what's going on. It would be real tough if they would've needed to delay it again.'
Kelly Downs Giants' pitcher
MA9
be better to stay." Oakland manager Tony LaRusa said.
The rock group is scheduled to play at the Oakland Coliseum on Nov. 4-5, and nearly 250,000 tickets have been sold. The Stones say their contract allows them to move into the stadium in October, set up, and that could conflict with Game 7 and 7 of the World Series, if they are necessary, on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.
The weather is beyond the Athletics' control, but the Rolling Stones are not.
"Maybe we could be the opening act," said Sandy Alderson, Athletics' general manager. "I'm sure something can be worked out. It might mean a delay of a day or two for the
seum on a smaller stage that would not take us much time to set up.
"What we're saying is that baseball's interests come ahead of rock 'n' roll." Graham said. "That's what makes my hair stand up."
The Athletics and Giants, for the first time since the earthquake, seemed excited about playing again.
"As we're getting closer, I think will be easier." Oakland's Dave Stewart, who will start Game 3, said in presenting on Christmas eve and that else the next morning. There's a growing sense of antithesis.
Both practice seasons yesterday were lively. Shouts echoed through Candlestick xs as the Giants took bat-
taking practice, while Rickie Henderson and Dave Parker kept the Athletics laughing as they tried to catch infield grounders.
"We're feeling a lot better now because we know what's going on." Giants pitcher Kelly Downa said. "It would be real tough if they would've needed to delay it again. If that happened, I'm sure a lot of guys would feel that they should just cancel the World Series."
The games, though, will go on. But not before a reflection on the tragedy and a tribute to those who helped the Bay area recover.
There will be a moment of silence at exactly 5:04 p.m., the time the earthquake shook northern California. The honor of the ceremonial first ball, which was to be thrown out by Giants' Hall of Famer Willie Mays, will go to a representative of the relief efforts.
The pregame festivities certainly won't be as festive as usual during the games. But Giants owner Bob Lurie the games will be just competitive.
"I keep hearing we shouldn't play the game, but that's from a minority, not a majority," Lurie said. "I think everyone is ready to play."
Last Tuesday's earthquake caused minor damage but did not affect the structure of the Giant's stadium, Candlestick Park. The California Department of Public Works is recertifying the safety of the building.
Concrete steps, which are laid over extension joints, cracked in two areas in upper Section 51.
The broken concrete was removed and new concrete poured.
Candlestick Park Repairs
The A-frame behind Sections 51-53 was damaged. The concrete on the frame was stripped, the bolts were checked, and new concrete was poured.
SOURCE: Office of Seadium Operations, Candlestick Park
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