Page 12 University Daily Kansan, November 19, 1980
Hold that obit, KU's bowl chances not dead yet
By GENE MYERS
Sports Editor
Hold these bowl bid obits about the Kansas
Javwhakv. Hold them at least until Saturday.
Once again the Jayhawks have risen from the grave of the passed over, those that fall to attract the attention of a bowl game. The Jayhawks, through hard-sell lobbying by Athletic Director Barris, have put the right roster in for the final spot in the Peach Bowl, the last open spot in the bowl world.
Peach Bowl Battle
The Bowl: Peach Bowl
The place: Fulton County Stadium, Atlanta
The date: Jan. 2, 1961
The time: 1:30 p.m.
The teams: Virginia Tech, 8-3, vs. someone
The contenders: Kansas Louisiana State Stanford Indiana Miami, Fla.
The games: Kansas, 4-4-2, at Missouri, 7-3 Indiana, 6-4, at Purdue, 7-3 Tulane, 7-3, at Louisiana State, 6-4 North Texas State, 6-4, at Miami, Fla., 6-3 Stanford, 6-4, at California, 2-8
ON JAN. 2, in Atlanta's Fulton County Stadium, B-3 Virginia Tech will lift up against either Kansas, Indiana, Stanford, Louisiana State or Miami, Fla. Sometimes Saturday afternoon, the Peach Bowl selection committee will decide which team it will be.
"We're going to all five games Saturday and because we're the only bowl with an opening we will move prudently," Art Gregory, chairman of the selection committee, said yesterday. "We'll make sure we take care of each game and then make a collective decision through telephone communications."
FOR KU to have any chance of a bowl invitiation, the Jayhawks will have to beat 7-3 Missouri. A victory over the Liberty Bowl-bound Tigers would give KU a 4-21 record in the Big Eight Conference and third place. Missouri would be fourth with a 4-3 conference record.
The Tigers, however, are 11-point favorites.
THE 18TH HBMAVA OF THE THIRD OF A third-place finish was main selling point for Marcum. None of the other Peach Bowl contenders are in the top three of their conferences.
*If they come out,*
Stanford, 6-4, is fifth in the Pacific-10, Indiana.
6-4, is fourth in the Big Ten and LSU, 6-4, is fourth in the Southeastern Conference. Miami is an independent, with a 6-3 record.
ALL KU has to do is beat Missouri Saturday in Columbia—and hope.
But the Jayhawks, whose bowl hopes all but vanished after losing 21-19, Nov. 8, to Oklahoma, were without hope until Monday afternoon. Marcum took John Novotny, Williams Fund chairman, as the team's director, to Atlanta to sell Peach Bowl officials on Kansas and its 4-4-2 record.
The officials, after a two-hour meeting, liked what they heard and added KU to their bowl list. A bowl representative will call in a report every day from Tampa to the selection committee in Atlanta.
GREGORY SAID that any team that lost
Saturday would be eliminated from consideration.
Indiana will play at 7-3 Purdue and is a touchdown underdog. Stanford will play at lowly 2-4 California. LSU will be a slight favorite in a home game against 7-3 Tulane. Miami also plays at home and will be favored over 6-4 North Texas State.
If KU is invited to the Peach Bowl, it would be a major, surprising accomplishment for Marcum. A team that had won only seven games in its first season would be playing in a bowl, the team's first since 1975.
But until Marcum went calling to Atlanta, KU wasn't warrant or even considered.
"We visited about the team and the program," Marcum said yesterday. "They met for about
two hours. We stayed the entire time. They then said that they would consider Kansas."
"The only thing we wanted was an opportunity. I think our chances are really good. If we beat Missouri, we'll be a legitimate third-place finisher in the conference and those other teams are legitimate fifth-place finishers in their leagues."
MARCUM HASN'T HAD to sell KU alone. Carl
was born in the city, also has been
learning of the art of chauvinism.
"You can call it politicking or whatever but I'm just dealing with fact and fiction," James said. "It's a fact that KU can finish third and would be a fine bowl representative. I wanted to make the Peach Bowl aware of that. It's fiction that they aren't deserving.
"If KU gets by Missouri, they would be worthy of consideration. They're worthy by being third in the prestigious Big Eight and with their prestigious tradition and fans."
James said that he had done all he could.
"I see it in my post to help out the teams," he said. "I would be remiss if I didn't. But there's nothing left I can do for the team. They have to win Saturday to have the right to be considered."
The Peach Bowl committee, according to reports in Atlanta, is leaning toward Indiana. But the Hoosiers will be the underdogs against Purdue Saturday.
GREGORY, WITHOUT naming specified, says that each team under consideration had its advantages and disadvantages. The criteria are: Words lessORD.
- Superlative players.
- Football tradition.
- Won-loss record.
- Superlative players.
CBS hopes date change is seed that bears fruit
The seed was moving the date of the Peach
fruit from the farm to the garden, the day after the
Boss Ginger, Sugar and Vanilla seeds.
CBS is gambling that on Friday afternoon, Jan. 2, the country won't be bowled out and that interest from the New Year's bowl games will last one more day.
By GENE MYERS Sports Editor
CBS has planted a seed it hopes will bear fruit Jan. 2, 1981.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON some lucky team, they believe the team, Jaytaune will receive an invitation to the event.
"It seems illogical to me that the country would be bowled out just 12 hours after the peak of the bowl season," Art Gregory, chairman of the selection committee, said yesterday. "The game is on a Friday afternoon and there isn't another game on. Most people will be at home and if they want to watch football they have to watch us."
BAYLOR DEFEATED CLEMSON in last year's Peach Bowl and the total purse was $64,514. That was the eighth highest purse in history. Baylor played games with a national television audience.
"We sold out last year and each team got $35,000," Gregory said. "This year if we sell out each will get $390,000. The increase is because of increased ticket prices and television revenues."
Officials of the Peach Bowl, which is played in Atlanta, are optimistic that CBS has the right
team's conference, where it is divided among each team, with the bowl team keeping two shares. Last year, Athletic Director Bob Marcum said KU received $400,000 from the conference. Most of the money came from bowl games from television appearances of BIO Bright Teams.
JAYHAWK NOTES; The recent talk of a bowl bid has Head Coach Dam Fonbroumb worried.
"Missouri is too big a game for us to think about the Bean Powl," he said after yesterday's practice. "Whatever happens after that, let it be. You can't say you don't think about it."
"First things first, though. We won't have a chance unless we beat Missouri."
"Harry Sydney is doubtful," Fambrough said.
"He tried to practice, but couldn't. If he can't go tomorrow, then that's it."
Fambridge said that offensive tackle Steve Oliver, a starter, was improving.
Fambrough, who was optimistic about his team's injury situation Monday, said yesterday he was excited.
"If he can practice tomorrow, then he can play," Fambrough said.
- Fan following.
In Columbia, Mo., Missouri Coach Warren Powers said that KU's freshman tailback Kerwin Bell would offer his team a different style in Saturday's game.
- Exciting offense.
increase the price and not the revenue.
The money from bowl games is given to a
"Bell is an exceptional young back," Powers said of the Big Eight's second-leading rusher, who went over the 1,000-yard mark last weekend at Colorado.
"Certainly KU is strong in some areas or they wouldn't be considered" Gregory said. "All the men at the bank are good."
Indiana's strongest is its fan following. That's important for any bowl, especially the Peach Bowl because it almost died two years ago. The NCAA requires bowls to sell 40 percent of their tickets locally to remain sanctioned, and the Peach Bowl has problems.
"He a little bit different type of back than we've faced before. He's not the big, strong type, he has the best."
Already 20,000 tickets have been sold in 60,000 seat capacity Fulton County Stadium, Gregory said. The bowl needs only 4,000 more to reach the 40 percent mark.
Miami, which has the best record and lost to highly rated Notre Dame, Penn State and Mississippi State, also has fans who may not travel with their team.
STANFORD HAS the best tradition, an exciting passing offense and a solid record that includes a victory over Oklahoma. But the fan following from Palo Alto, Calif., is suspect.
LSLU fills most of the criteria but James said that LSLU was not serioously under consideration.
"Kerwin was recruited by Georgia and a lot was written about him and Herschel Walker," Marcum said. "He has gained attention that way."
The Jayhawks have the worst record of the five teams. But they have a solid offense that leads to success, and second leading freshman runner in the country. He trails only Georgia's Herschel Walker.
KU's fans may help because KU took almost 4,000 people to the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, in December. (AP)
Brett's consistency decides MVP issue
NEW YORK (UPI)—The Baseball Writers Association of America placed consistency over power yesterday and named the Kansas City Royals' third baseman George Brett the Most Valuable Player in the American League.
The New York Yankees' Reggie Jackson was second.
Brett's .390 was the highest batting average in 39 years and he drove in 118 runs in 117 games. Jackson was second in the American League with 41 home runs.
THE CASTLE
TEA ROOM
1307 Mass. phone: 843-1151
Brett won easily with 17 first-place votes and 335 points to Jackson's five first-place votes and 234 points.
SIGNS • GRAPHIC DESIGN
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ART&SIGN
The Office of Student Organizations & Activities presents a Leadership Enhancement Event Black Women As Leaders 6:30-9:00 Satellite Union Rm. 305 Nov. 19, 1980 sponsored by Office of Student Organizations & Activities 220 Strong Hall 864-4861
Run Cross Country-
Enter the Turkey Trot
Saturday, Nov. 22
9:45 a.m., West Campus
Entry forms and additional information available in 208 Robinson Center
864-3546
11 WEST 9th Sandwich, Burger, & Yogurt Shop
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The Classic Sub $149
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