Section:
B
Sports
Today in sports
The University Daily Kansan
Top-seeded Andre Agassi lost to Frenchman Arnaud Clement 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in the second round of the French Open yesterday.
Inside: Kansas women's bowler Barri Forkos has emerged as a team leader during her senior season.
SEE PAGE 3B
Inside: The Royals lost to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 2-1 last night.
SEE PAGE 2B
For comments, contact Melinda Weaver or Jason Walker at 864-4858 or e-mail sports@kansan.com WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORT
'Hawks hope for rare road conquest
Sweat drips off the face of linebacker Dariss Lomax after practice Thursday evening. The heat is on the Jayhawks, both literally and figuratively this weekend as they face Southern Methodist University in their season-opener Saturday in Dallas. Photo by Matt J. Daaugherty/KANSAN
By Jason Franchuk
By Jason Franchuk sports@kansan.com Kansan writerwriter
The temperature. The location. The pressure. The heat is on for Kansas.
You don't say? Triple-digit temperatures have altered practice schedules for the Jawhawks all week.
That breeze you felt Tuesday night? Perhaps that was Allen and Co. exhaling a collective sigh of relief upon Smith's revival.
Often the heat led to fatigue, which led to illness. The Jayhawks reached double digits in the number of players who suffered from dehydration or flu-like symptoms, including starting senior quarterback Dylan Smith. Smith left two consecutive practices early before returning for good.
And now that the Jayhawks are slightly healthier because a few night practices this week allowed everyone to keep a little cooler, Kansas will go to Southern Methodist tomorrow to open its season and try not to get scorched on the road again.
TOMORROW'S GAME
But this is not a typical road game. Kansas must go to Dallas, where the Mustangs will open a brand-new, on-campus stadium. Instead of playing at the ancient Cotton Bowl, where the stadium would possibly be half-full, the new Gerald J. Ford Stadium is a 32,000-seat home that is sure to be raucous for its inauguration.
What: Kansas at Southern Methodist
Where: Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas
When: 6 p.m.
Television: None
Radio: KLWN, 1320 am
Yes, the heat is on.
"There will be a lot of hoopla in conjunction with the opening of their new stadium on campus," Allen said. "We have talked about the significance of this game for many reasons since spring practice, as far as opening the season the way we want to, but we have not gotten into the idea of spoiling their party."
into the rear of spanning a road. Aside from Firestone tires, nothing besides the Jayhawks has received more bad press for on-road performance. Kansas is 1-14 on the road under Allen.
Allen has recognized this road opener as a must-win for the Jayhawks if they are to have any realistic chance at playing during the holidays. Since the first
day of practice, Allen has signified SMU as a "red-letter" game—a contest Kansas must be prepared for and not take lightly.
The heat index has not helped. Players have been sidelined, receiving more IV units than the combined episodes of M*A*$^S H$. Practices have been moved to nighttime, when there's less fear of the harmful heat.
The strict agenda the Jayhawks usually follow has had to be curtailed this week for players' safety.
Even with all the setbacks the heat has had to offer, Allen has coaxed Kansas to stay focused and not lose sight of how important tomorrow is. While the players
See 'HAWKS on page 6B
Kansas prepares for hot weekend action
Junior Amy Myatt returns a volley at the Horejsi Family Athletic Center. Kansas will face Western Michigan, Eastern Kentucky and Purdue at the Purdue Mortar Board Premier this weekend. Kansan file photo
By Sarah Warren
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
The Horejsi Family Athletic Center was home to a two-day sweat extravaganza this week.
Technically, the display was mid-week volleyball practice, but when coach Ray Bechard shut off the air conditioning Tuesday, the three-hour workout turned
into a three-hour sauna session.
"The gym we're playing at this weekend at Purdue doesn't have air conditioning," Bechard said. "We've been comfortable in air conditioning for the past three weeks, and so we're just
Senior Sara Kidd agreed that playing a Big 10 team definitely had its advantages.
"One of the things we talked about in a meeting before the season was how our non-conference play hurt us," she said. "It's hard because a lot of people don't understand how strong the Big 12 conference really is."
When facing those teams, Bechard said he hoped to test out his team and strategies, both of which have had a makeover
PURDUE MORTAR BOARD PREMIER
**What:** Purdue Mortar Board Premier Volleyball
When: Today and tomorrow.
Where: Intercollegiate Athletics Facility (1,696),
Woof is fun and loud.
West layroye, Ind.
**Teams:** Western Michigan, Eastern Kentucky,
Kansas finds itself in close quarters with the three teams it'll face this weekend — Western Michigan, Eastern Kentucky and Purdue — at the Purdue Mortar Board Premier in West Lafayette, Ind. While Kansas has never faced Eastern Kentucky, the Hawks lead the all-time series with Western Michigan 2-1 but trail Purdue 0-2. "We wanted to strengthen our schedule
trying to make things game-like."
**Teams:** Western Michigan, Eastern Kentucky,
Purdue and Kansas.
"We wanted to strengthen our schedule and go out and play a Big 10 team," Bechard said of Purdue. "Therefore, we're taking on a more aggressive preseason than any other year before."
But it won't be just the gym this week end that'll make the Javahwks sweat.
since losing alltime top offensive players Amanda Reves and Mary Beth Albrecht to graduation in May.
"Losing your top two in any sport hurts," Bechard said. "I don't think Roy
(Williams) would want to lose his top two scorers in one year. And it's difficult when you lose your skill-position players."
Bechard said he was looking at his underclassmen to make strides and help fill in the gaps, both in non-conference and conference play.
"We lost experience, but we think we recruited talented players," Bechard said. "They'll play and turn that into experience. The young players have to experience this conference before you can expect them to survive it."
And for the players' sake, let's hope the Big 12 gyms are air-conditioned.
Collison living out his dream in Hawaii
- Edited by Warisa Chulindra
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
By Michael Rigg
Tomorrow at 5:30 p.m., Collison and a team of 11 other collegiate players will take on the Senior Men's National Team — a.k.a. the Dream Team — a group of twelve NBA all-stars.
Nick Collison versus the Dream Team in Hawaii? Sounds like a match-up for must-see TV.
Collison, a 6-foot-9 sophomore forward, and the rest of the college players practiced against the Dream Team for the past week, helping the professionals prepare for the Olympics in two weeks. The competition will be tough — Collison will be matched tomorrow against such NBA stars as Kevin Garnett and Antonio
"It's kind of a dream come true."
It's kind of a d
Collison said in a
phone interview yester-
day from Hawaii.
"But after the first
day it wore off, and
it were just out
there playing basketball."
McDyess. Still, Collison said he hasn't
hear that overwhelmed.
It's not like the collegiate players won't be prepared for tomorrow's game. The team has scrimmaged against the NBA players for the past week, and the results have been
Collison: Going up against the Dream Team tomorrow night in Hawaii
what basketball observers would expect.
"We're playing all right," Collison said. "But we'll think we're holding our own, then we look up in at the scoreboard and that's not the case."
Collison said the reasons for the lashings in the scrimmages were because of two reasons: the professionals' ability to run and their mental games.
"The thing that they are so much better at is when they get out and run." Collison said. "It's been a great experience so far. Plus the way they play is so smart."
So what can fans on the mainland expect tomorrow? Another drubbing by the professionals?
"Probably," Collison said. "The key will just be getting back (on defense)."
Win or lose, Collison said the experience would only help him for the upcoming season.
Kansas coach Roy Williams agreed.
"A week of playing against this caliber of competition can only benefit me," Collison said.
"It's fantastic," he said. "It will help because the level of play is the best there is."
The game will be played with international rules and can be seen on NBC, cable channels 8 and 14.
Williams, in fact, said he had only one regret about Collison's trip to the islands.
"If I didn't have so many things to do around here, I'd go with him." Williams said. "I'd watch him practice for three hours per day, and it would be a great life."
Edited by Shawn Hutchinson
Sports Columnist
Jason Walker
sports@kansan.com
Stadium tour is like heaven with pinstripes
I found the coolest place on the face of the Earth on Monday.
It wasn't Louise's West. It wasn't the Taj Mahal. It wasn't even the Playboy Mansion. On Monday, for the first time in my life, I set foot in Yankee Stadium.
And it wasn't just any old visit to any old stadium. The Yankees have been my favorite team since I was about five years old. My dad's hero as a kid was Mickey Mantle, the great Yankee center fielder, so the pinstriped passion runs in the family. As a youngster (and still today), I have an idol in Don Mattingly, the former Yankee first baseman. This was a visit to the promised land; Yankee Stadium is my Mecca.
Problem was, on this trip to the Big Apple, the Bronx Bombers were bombing somewhere else. Seattle, to be exact. That's a long way from the House That Ruth Built. My hopes of catching a whiff of the Kentucky bluegrass infield were temporarily dashed.
On a trip to the Yankees Web site, however, it was posted that the fine Yankee organization offered stadium tours. This was my ticket to paradise. It would be a dream come true.
Just an unassuming big white wall coming up on the left, but I know what it was. This was it.
And then, as the subway train moved above ground, I saw it.
On the subway to the Bronx, all I could think about is what it would be like to be a part of the Yankee mystique. Work in the Yankees organization. Be a part of the most successful sports organization in the world. It could be George Costanza's job from Seinfeld, for all I care. To be a part of the Yankees would be amazing. My thoughts were a whirlwind of dreams and the 25 world championships the Yankees owned.
The train approached the stop just south of the stadium, and I caught a glimpse of the grassy outfield inside through the cutout wall in right field. My stomach tightened.
My friend and I got off the train and we walked around toward the front gate to buy tour tickets. Eight dollars each? Merely pennies compared to what this was going to be like. I handed over the money like I was a kid buying ice cream.
We were promptly led inside the stadium through the press entrance, where I caught another glimpse of the field. The knot in my stomach tightened.
"Look, out there in right field," I announced. "That's where Babe Rush played! And there, in center field, that's where Mickey Mantle played! And first base! That's where Don Mattingly played!" My friend, not a big baseball fan, was unimpressed. I was in hog heaven.
We were led up to the press box and a full view of the field. Words cannot describe the feeling I had seeing this vast expanse of green grass and blue seats for the first time. It was amazing
It got better. From the press box, the tour group made its way down to the Yankees' clubhouse, where the guide pointed out each bigname player's locker. I saw a bucket of used baseballs, slyly grabbed one and stuffed it in my pocket. I'll give that to my grandchildren someday.
Then the coup de grace. The tour group was led into the Yankee dugout. I sat there on the bench and, blocking out the tour guide's rambling about the ventilation system, I thought about all the great baseball players that had sat in that very spot.
Then it was on to Monument Park, the area behind the left-center field fence where Yankees players' numbers are retired. Plaques are hung for the great Yankees, and for a select five — Ruth, Mantle, Miller Huggins, Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio — there were monuments erected in their honor.
I frantically looked for a memento I could come away from the dugout with. There was nothing. Finally, I spotted an uneaten sunflower seed on the ledge behind my seat and snatched it up. That, too, will get passed on to my grandkids.
Sounds silly, doesn't it? Looking back, keeping a sunflower seed does it to me, too. But common sense notwithstanding, that heavenly place threw logic out the window.
。
have you ever had an experience that you just knew right when it happened that you would never, ever forget? Presumably, my wedding day and the birth of my children will be the climactic moments in my life.
But on the subway back to Manhattan that day, I knew my visit to Yankee Stadium would rank right up there.
Walker is a multimedia senior in journalism and the associate sports editor.