THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2014
PAGE 11B
COMMENTARY Nothing glitzy about it: Kansan reports the truth on Jayhawk football
Sports journalism: a form of writing that reports on sporting topics and
on sporting topics and games. The University Daily Kansan does just that: reports on the current topics in sports and covers the sporting events that pertain to KU athletics.
There have been several FFAs submitted to the Kansan recently about how the sports staff has been "slamming coach Charlie Weis" in the paper.
The Kansan is not the football — or the basketball team's
If roles were reversed and football won 10-straight conference championships and basketball was going through a conference season without picking up a win, the sports staff would be addressing the problems with the basketball team. However, that is not the case.
— cheerleader. The Kansan has never been a cheerleader and never will be a cheerleader. The sports staff has a job to uphold by reporting current and relevant news. Weis being on the hot seat is current and relevant news. The football team not winning is current and relevant news. The Kansan sports writers are not on staff to glamorize anything. Their job is to tell it like it is.
If the students want someone to be a cheerleader (other than the actual cheerleaders) for the team, the students themselves should be cheerleaders and stay for the whole game, rather than leave when things get rough to hit up the bars. We all know the students don't leave to do their homework or knit sweaters with their grandmas.
The Kansan sports staff should not have to defend its position when they are reporting the current topic in sports. No team is perfect for the duration of its existence. It's not possible. Teams go through losing seasons; as a fan it sucks, but it is what it is.
I was in seventh grade when Kansas won the 2008 Orange Bowl and was in eighth grade when Kansas last went to a bowl game (2009 Insight Bowl). As a fan, I understand the frustrations with reading all the negative things about the football team and Weis in the paper. As a sports journalist, I know you can't sugarcoat the truth.
Covering a team that is coming off several losing seasons in a row isn't worlds of fun. However, we as sports writers owe it to the team and the fans to accurately report news that relates to the team, even if it isn't pretty.
Edited by Emily Brown
Dodgers dominated by Rockies 16-2
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Los Angeles Dodgers' Matt Kemp reacts to striking out against the Colorado Rockies during the first inning of the Sept. 17 game in Denver. The Dodgers lost 16-2.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
DENVER — Clayton Kershaw and a few of his teammates gathered on the couch, eyes glued to the flat-screen TV. They were rooting on Arizona against rival San Francisco.
No such luck, though. The Giants won and the NL West race just got a lot tighter.
Nothing went right for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday.
Los Angeles now leads the Giants by two games in the division.
Justin Morneau tied a season high with six RBIs, including five as part of an eight-run first inning against spot starter Carlos Frias, and the Colorado Rockies routed the Dodgers 16-2.
Still, manager Don Mattingly is contemplating bringing Frias back for another turn in the rotation. He doesn't have many options if the sore left shoulder of Hyun-Jin Ryu isn't better by next week. Ryu will test it out later this week in Chicago.
"You only have 'X' amount of starters for that spot," Mattingly said. "You choose what's best for that spot and you move on."
The harder Frias seemed to throw, the harder the Rockies seemed to hit the baseball.
"It was a bad day." Frias said through a translator. "Can't really chalk it up to anything other than a bad day.
"All I can do is put it behind
me and look forward to the next outing."
Morneau hit a three-run homer and a two-run single in the opening frame as the Rockies chased Frias after just two outs. Morneau and Carlos Gonzalez are the only Rockies players to drive in five runs in an inning.
the Rockies took two of three from the Dodgers, who trailed 15-0 after six innings against the team with the worst record in the league.
"You play this game a long time you see some things you've never seen," Morneau said. "Obviously, having guys on base is important. You wouldn't expect us to come out against a guy like that who's got really good stuff. He was a guy we were ready for and we were able to get some hits."
Morneau had three hits and a sacrifice fly, raising his average to .320 and leaping over Pittsburgh's Josh Harrison for the NL batting lead.
The hard-throwing Frias didn't record a traditional out, either, in his 38-pitch appear-
Charlie Blackmon went 5 for 5 with a solo homer as
Jorge De La Rosa (14-11) gave up two hits in six scoreless innings to improve to 10-2 at home this season.
"You've seen some strange things in this park," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "There's a lot of game left and Jorge did a good job of keeping them down."
said. "Just one of those things." This hardly looked like the same Dodgers team that was coming off a big series win in San Francisco that included a 17-0 romp over the Giants. Los Angeles is chasing Washington for the best record in the NL.
ance. He got one when catcher Tim Federowicz threw out Corey Dickerson on a steal attempt and another when Wilin Rosario tried to score from third on a squeeze play.
"It's almost like everything you call gets hit," Federowicz said. "Just one of those things."
The Dodgers needed an eight-run sixth inning to get by the Rockies on Monday, and then stranded runner after runner Tuesday in a 10-4
loss.
Once the Rockies roughed up Frias, Mattingly steadily began taking out his position players as the Rockies set a season high for runs.
"I was just getting guys off their feet," Mattingly said.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Dodgers: SS Hanley Ramirez wasn't in the starting lineup for a second straight day due to a strained right elbow. Mattingly said he thinks Ramirez will be ready to play in Chicago.
Rockies: 3B Nolan Arena-do remains sidelined with a bruised chest and pneumonia.
Tallent, Norton reach US Senior Amateur final
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.
— Patrick Tallent and Bryan Norton each won two matches Wednesday in the U.S. Senior Amateur to advance to the final at Big Canyon.
The 61-year-old Tallent, from Vienna, Virginia, beat Michael Turner of Sherman Oaks, California, 6 and 5 in the quarterfinals and topped Rick Cloninger of Fort Mill, South Carolina, 3 and 1 in the semifinals.
Tallent survived a 15-for-13 playoff Monday to advance to match play in the event for players 55 and older. He played basketball at George Washington and was drafted by the Washington Bullets in 1976.
Norton, a 55-year-old reinstated amateur from Overland Park, Kansas, beat Peter Wegmann of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 2 and 1 in the quarterfinals and edged Randal Lewis of Alma, Michigan, 2 and 1 in the semifinals.
Associated Press
Norton was the runner-up in the 2003 USGA Mid-Amateur Championship after having to concede because of a calf injury. The former Oral Roberts player won the Kansas Amateur in 1980, 2002 and 2014. In the other quarterfinals, Cloninger beat Frank Dial of Auburn, Alabama, 3 and 2, and Lewis topped Jack Hall of Savannah, Georgia, 2 and 1.
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Roll with the 'HAWKS
KU Homecoming 2014
Sunday, September 21
Join the Jayhawks for the 102nd annual Homecoming celebration in Lawrence! With over 20 events held on and off campus, it is sure to be an exciting week.
Stuff the Bus
Glow KU
Jayhawk Jingles Auditions
Clue
Monday, September 22
United Across Borders - T-shirt Drive Sign Competition 3 vs. 3 Basketball Tournament Residence Hall Video Game Tournament
Tuesday, September 23
Chalk n' Rock
United Across Borders - T-shirt Drive
3 vs. 3 Basketball Semifinals/Finals
Jayhawk jingles Dress Rehearsals
Glow KU Judging
Friday, September 26
Football & Flapjack ($5 per person)
United Across Borders - T-shirt Drive
Homecoming Parade
Homecoming Pep Rally
Wednesday, September 24 United Across Borders - T-shirt Drive Homecoming Food Fest - featuring Jayhawk Jingles
Thursday, September 25 United Across Borders - T-shirt Drive
Wednesday, September 24
Thursday, September 25
Friday, September 26
Saturday. September 27
Saturday, September 27
Homecoming Reception
KU vs. Texas Football Game
Ex.C.E.L. and Homecoming Awards
Visit www.homecoming.ku.edu for schedule updates.
Alumni Center
KU Campus/Lawrence Community
Alumni Center
Start at the Alumni Center
Alumni Center Watson Library Lawn Student Rec Fitness Center Burge Union - Gridiron Room
Wescoe Beach
Alumni Center
Student Rec Fitness Center
Alumni Center
KU Campus/Lawrence Community
Alumni Center
Alumni Center
12 p.m.-3 p.m.
12 p.m-9 p.m.
4:7:30 p.m.
8 p.m.
10 a.m.-2 p.m.
10 a.m.-2 p.m.
5-9 p.m.
6-8 p.m.
7 p.m.
10 a.m.-2 p.m.
6-9 p.m.
10 a.m.-2 p.m.
10 a.m.-2 p.m.
5-11 p.m.
7-9 p.m.
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION The University of Kansas
Alumni Center
Alumni Center Parking Lot
Alumni Center
Massachusetts Street
8th and New Hampshire Street
10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Alumi Center
Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium
9 a.m. - Noon
10 a.m. -2 p.m.
6 p.m.
6:45 p.m.
1 p.m.
3 p.m.
halftime presentation
Facebook: /KUHomecoming
Twitter: @ku_homecoming
Instagram: @ku_homecoming
KU OFFICE OF
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The University of Kansas
CROSSROADS KC
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER26
DR. JOHN
& THE NITE TRIPPERS HONEY ISLAND SWAMP BAND
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
TRAMPLED BY TURTLES
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
MATISYAHU
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GOV'T MULE
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17
BIG GIGANTIC
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MANIC FOCUS
MONDAY, OCTOBER 13
INGRID
MICHAELSON
UPTOWN THEATER
MONDAY, OCTOBER 20
RYAN ADAMS
UPTOWN THEATER
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7
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WILLIAMS
LIBERTY HALL
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