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SPORTS
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
1B
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2001
Commentary
Michael Rigg Columnist sportskansan.com
Mizzou can expect to lose in Saturday's game with KU
We've had a lot of fun lately at the expense of those sad-sack Kansas State Wildcats.
But let's not forget the one team that dare I say it is even sadder and more pathetic than the Wildcats of the west. And it's coming to town this weekend: the Missouri Tigers.
How bad are the terrible Tigers? So bad that Iowa State, not even a Big 12 Championship contender itself, has gone to Columbia, Mo., and beaten Mizzou the last two times they met. So bad that the Tigers lost to Ohio's Bowling Green State University — at home.
This weekend, the Tigers and the Jayhawks will renew one of the oldest college football rivalries in the country. Kansas will retake the lead in the KU vs. Mizzou series — it's at 50 wins for each school right now—with an easy blowout victory. The Jayhawks, remarkably enough, are aiming for a bowl game. Meanwhile, the only bowl game the Tigers will have to remember is with Bowling Green.
Bowling Green? Sure, I've been to bowling lanes. I've even lawn bowled once or twice. But whoever heard of a Bowling Green? Well, not until the first weekend of September, anyway.
Sometimes it's hard to put demoralizing losses into perspective. This time, it's all too easy. In coach Gary Pinkel's debut, Bowling Green, which hasn't had a winning season since 1994, rolled into Faurot Field from Ohio and drilled the Tigers 20-13. The tough Falcon defense, which gave up 51 points in its 2000 season finale, held the putrid Missouri offense to just 71 yards in the first half
That's not even funny. It's just sad.
Losses like that reveal a few things about the Missouri football program. For starters, Bowling Green finished last in the Mid-America Conference last year, which means Missouri would probably finish last in that group. You might also conclude that Missouri made the wrong call by firing former coach Larry Smith, who took Missouri to two bowl games after 13 straight losing seasons, and bringing in Gary Pinkel.
Of course, it was Missouri's fans always ignorant and never classy, who organized the move to oust Smith.
Yes, those fans are the guys who wear dresses to basketball games (Kansas junior forward Drew Gooden called them "transvestites" in one magazine). And these same fans were out the door by halftime of last season's 38-17 pasting by our mighty Jayhawks in Columbia.
Sadly, those people still think that Missouri is going to have a good football team in the near future. What they are forgetting, however, is one thing about their school that will never be changed — no heavily recruited athlete would ever want to spend four years of his or her life there (with the possible exception of basketball star Kareem Rush, who settled for Mizzou only after Kansas stopped recruiting him).
So on Saturday, after the Tigers lose, Missouri fans can go back to the Ozarks where they came from, with their tails tucked between their legs. But maybe central Missouri isn't all bad.
central Missouri After all, there are always greens on which to bowl.
Rigg is a Greenwood Village, Colo., senior in broadcast news.
Improvements needed or maybe event should end, Williams hints
Sound system hampers Late Night
Ryan Malashock Kansan sportswriter
A garbled sound system may have prevented fans from enjoying Late Night with Roy Williams, and the men's basketball coach was not pleased.
"To me you couldn't hear a blessed thing," Williams said. "It's almost embarrassing. Unless the speakers are better up top, I’m wondering if it’s worth doing if we do it that poorly. I couldn’t hear anything. I felt for the girls, the guys. It took away a great deal of enjoyment for me. We’ve either got to figure out a way for it to be heard, or maybe 14 Late Nights is enough."
Charlie Richman, Dallas junior, said he and others around him had trouble
hearing during the festivities, which included the team's first official practice of the season.
"It wasn't that I didn't have a good time, but I couldn't hear much of anything," Richman said. "After
waiting and sitting for three hours, it was frustrating to me that the sound quality wasn't better."
Williams:
Among the skits affected by the sound system were the musical acts performed by seniors Jeff Carey and Todd Kappelmann, and the five freshmen serenading their mothers.
Carey, who had performed musically in years past, and Kappelmann did a rendition of Bon Jovis "Wanted Dead or Alive."
Carey said he was upset with the sound system because most of the people in
attendance couldn't hear them clearly.
Six members of the men's team acted out a mock "Holiday Inn Express" commercial in which senior Brett Ballard imitated Williams. The lack of crisp sound also may have caused confusion in the crowd, but Ballard said the sound system didn't ruin the night.
“It’s hard to say if I was any good,” Carey said. “I couldn’t really hear myself. I was hoping the crowd would get a little more involved. That’s all right. Not everybody likes Bon Jovi anyway. I do.”
"I really couldn't hear much of anything," Ballard said. "We heard a little bit but not too much. It still was a lot of fun. It's my last year, and I wanted to make it a good one. Late Night is always fun."
The University had brought in additional speakers to enhance the sound at Late Night. Kansas officials have considered installing a new sound system at
Allen Fieldhouse for some time, but a new system would cost about $250.000.
Williams hinted that a solution needed to found before next year's Late Night or the event might not take place.
"It's a shame because Howard Hill's PA, I can hear very well," Williams said of the separate sound system in the fieldhouse used by Kansas's public address announcer. "Senior Day last year I could hear the speeches. We have to do something to have a better sound system."
thing to have a better system Basketball note: Senior guard Jeff Boschee and red shirt freshman guard Jeff Hawkins both suffered minor injuries in practice on Sunday. Boschee sprained his ankle, but an X-ray performed yesterday showed no broken bones. He's listed as day-to-day. Hawkins strained his left knee, and will have an MRI performed today.
Backup propelled Sooner win
Contact Malashock at 864-4858
By Jeff Denton Kansan sportswriter
Oklahoma backup quarterback Jason White trotted onto the field much earlier than Kansas defensive coordinator Tom Hayes had expected Saturday.
Hayes had prepared his defense for Nate Hybl, the Oklahoma junior who had started the first five games for the defending national champions. Hybl's ineffectiveness prompted Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops to send out his second string sophomore with 21/2 minutes to go in the first quarter.
"I didn't expect to see him to play because all the press releases from Oklahoma this week said that Hyb1 was going to play." Hayes said. "But sure, we prepared our defense. It's the same scheme. You can't do anything different. It's just that he is a more mobile athlete in their schemes.
White came in for Hybl Oct. 6 against Texas when Hybil's nonthrowing shoulder was crushed into the turf in Dallas late in the first quarter. White directed his team to a 14-3 win against the then-No. 5 team in the country.
But on Saturday, White replaced Hybl not because of an injury, but because the Oklahoma offense needed a spark.
Hybl endured a tough first quarter. Swarming Kansas linebackers and strong pursuit from the defensive line forced him to complete just 5 of 11 passes for 15 yards. He also went 0 for 2 on third down
passes and dropped a snap.
Oklahoma's offensive success happened the moment it went with its No. 2 quarterback. White re-energized the sluggish offense.
He completed 18 of 29 passes for 151 and four touchdowns. He also became the first quarterback to rush for 100 yards against Kansas this season. White took off 12 times for 117 yards. He steered the Sooners to 38 unanswered points — all from a quarterback whom Hayes had not expected to play against his defense.
"I don't know the reason why they took Hybl out," said junior linebacker Leo Etienne, who had a game-high 18 tackles in the 38-10 defeat. "But they felt that White could come in and do the job, and he did."
Hayes credited his players with a gutsy effort against an offense that had strung together 19 consecutive wins.
Etienne said the loss to the No. 2 team in the nation was disappointing, but he said that the 2-3 Jayhawks could not remain dejected. He said they had to refocus for their upcoming battle with Missouri.
"We talk to our guys all the time about continuing to fight and play every play like it was their last in football, and they did that," Hayes said.
"We're probably down,but we're not out," Etienne said.
Contact Denton at 864-4858
PHOTO BY LAURIE SISK/KANSAN
Oklahoma's Justin White tries to elude a Kansas defender Saturday night at Memorial Stadium. The Sooners, who went on to defeat the Jayhawks 38-10, got a boost from their backup quarterback who came in for Nate Hybl. White, who becamethe first quarterback to rush for 100 yards against the Jayhawks this season, completed 18 of 29 passes for 151 yards and four touchdowns.
Fans find nothing to cheer about in Kansas City
By Jeremy Giles Kansan sportswriter
The Chiefs seem helpless, the Royals seem hapless, and with another self-inflicted public relations blow by the Royals, it's hard to imagine how this past week could have been worse for sports-minded Kansas Citians.
The past five years with manager Tony Muser, Royals fans have endured three of the worst seasons ever. Fans saw their team limp home with a 65-97 record in 2001, 26 games out of first place in the American League Central Division. Yet, instead of firing Muser, the Royals fired popular bench coach Jamie Quirk in a midweek shocker
that further embittered many fans.
Matt Flynn, Lenexa sophomore, said this season was doomed in the beginning.
this season was good. "The season ended before it even got started because the Royals traded Johnny Damon to Oakland," Flynn said. "This shows that the front office has no commitment to winning. Their intention is to survive the business of baseball."
"When the season's only highlight is our star player (Mike Sweeney) charging the pitcher on the mound,you know you're having a nauseating season," he said.
Fans could also take no comfort in knowing their team was farsighted enough not to draft Kansas City native
Albert Pujols, who is a strong candidate to be the National League rookie of-the-year after leading the St. Louis Cardinals to the playoffs.
Carmichael was on Sunday, it was the Chiefs' turn: During the eventual 20-17 loss to Pittsburgh, they also lost right tackle Victor Riley for the season with a broken leg.
At Arrowhead Stadium, where the Chiefs were almost unbeatable in the 90s, they have lost three in a row for the first time since 1980.
"It is very depressing," said Amy Smith, Overland Park freshman. "I don't even want to turn on the TV to watch the Chiefs, because I know they'll lose."
At 1-4, the Chiefs could be staring at
their worst season since 1988. Boos were loud at Arrowhead as new quarterback Trent Green and his band of wide receivers failed once again to get any semblance of a passing game into gear.
Green, who has thrown seven interceptions and one TD pass in the four losses, stewed for almost an hour in the locker room trying to think of something to tell the media.
"I always have high expectations going into each season," said Chad Clarke, Shawnee junior, referring to both teams.
The Associated Press and Kansan reporter Jason Hwang contributed to this story.
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