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10A
SPORTS
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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Commentary
FRIDAY, AUGUST 31, 2001
Doug Pacey
Sports Columnist
sportsokansan.com
'Golden Tee' arcade game popular for bar hoppers
You're at a bar. You see four guys in the corner hovering around some arcade game hootin', hollerin' and high-fivin' like they just won the lottery.
It's doubtful a million-dollar check will be coming to any of them soon. Chances are they're playing Golden Tee.
Golden Tee is the most popular arcade game in the country, and it is everywhere. Next time you're at a bar in Lawrence, look around. It's a good bet the golf game will be there.
Those four guys aren't video game geeks; they're as normal as they come. Golden Tee attracts men — and some women — the way your porch light attracts moths on a hot summer night.
Gary Colabuono, marketing director for Incredible Technologies, the company that produces Golden Tee, said ITS was surprised at the initial reaction to the game.
Golden Tee was so popular in its first year that ITS received the Manufacturer of the Year Award, which for the coin-operated industry is akin to a film winning an Oscar for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
There are more than 25,000 Golden Tee Fore! 2002 games and another 50,000 older versions of the game in operation today, he said.
The game's popularity rivals that of Pac-Man's in the early '80s (did you know that Time named Pac-Man its Man of the Year in 1982?).
"Sometimes Golden Tee Forel! is referred to as the Pac-Man of the new millennium, to put it into perspective for the older crowd," Colabuono said. "We're certainly not in PacMan's class. It was everywhere. You could find them at cafeterias, Jiffy Lubes and waiting rooms."
Golden Tee doesn't have the penetration of Pac-Man. About 90 percent of Golden Tee's are in bars, but its status among bar-going men is in high regard
So popular is the game among males that some women have taken to forming a support group, Colabuono said. It's called the Golden Tee Widows Association.
So what is it about *Golden Tee* that draws men to it as if it holds the secret to what women want?
"It is a game of skill," Colabuono said. "It is not like Mortal Kombat where you can figure out what sequence of punches and kicks will get the highest score." Golden Tee is always different. Pin placement, the tee, wind and rain are all going to vary."
Kind of like man's situation with women. Just when a guy thinks he's got something figured out, he gets thrown for a loop.
But those four guys sure were happy about something. Did they master Golden Tee? Then, does that mean they've got women figured out?
Not likely. They're playing a video game, albeit a popular one, instead of paying attention to the women at the bar.
Pacey is an Issaqua h, Wash., senior in journalism.
Game plan to remain the same
Jayhawks start football season minus key players
By Jeff Denton Kansan sportswriter
Even though he will not be handing off to running back Reggie Duncan or sharing time with quarterback Mario Kinsey tomorrow, starting quarterback Zach Dyer insisted that the game plan will remain the same.
"We're not going to try to switch things up because of the suspensions," Dyer said. "I don't think there will necessarily be more pressure on the passing game because Reggie's in there."
Co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Rip Scherer said that it would be Dyer's show for the entire 60 minutes. Dyer said he looked at his start as just another football game.
Dyer will be protected by an offensive line that returns three starters and averages just less than 300 pounds and supported by a receiving corps that caught 73 percent of the passes last season.
"Once you get out there, you are just reacting and playing football." Dyer said.
Dan Coke will replace Duncan as the primary running back out of the Jayhawk backfield. But coach Terry Allen said that as many as three other running
backs would be used behind the 6-foot-1, 212-pound sophomore.
Kansas will play host to No.
15 UCLA next Saturday, a game the players have been looking forward to for months, sophomore cornerback Carl Ivey said
But Ivey also said that the Jayhawks could not afford to overlook Southwest Missouri State.
"We're ready for UCLA, but
first things first," Ivey said. "Southwest Missouri State is going to try to challenge us, but our defense has really good team speed. We know what we have to do."
Ivey won the starting cornerback position opposite senior Andrew Davison, beating out senior Quincy Roe for the right side spot. Also winning a starting spot this past week on defensive coordinator Tom Hayes' defense was linebacker Glenn Robinson, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound redshirt sophomore. He said that the defense needed to attack to be successful.
"We can't play not to lose," Robinson said.
Besides Dyer, Ivey and Robinson, Allen will rotate in another half dozen underclassmen on both sides of the football. He said he expected them to play well but anticipated mistakes.
"Those are the players that are going to be the future of our program," Allen said. "You're going to have some bumps in the road, but if we can eliminate some of the major problems and play well, then it will be a great opportunity for us to go somewhere."
Kansas is 42-22-2 in home openers.
Contact Denton at 864-4810
Jayhawks face unknown foe tomorrow
Division I-AA Bears eager for challenge, head coach says
By Brent Briggeman
Kansan sportswriter
Southwest Missouri State coach Randy Ball can't remember coming into a season with this many question marks.
"You're always going to have a lot of questions going in to the first game of the season," Ball said. "But this year there's even more than normal."
The Division I-AA Bears must replace 11 starters from a team that finished 5-6 overall last year and 2-4 in the Gateway Conference.
Ball said he didn't know what to expect from his players.
"The kids are anxious to play in a bigger stadium and against Big 12 players," Ball said. "It's a big challenge but hopefully won't be overwhelming for them."
One player Ball wasn't concerned about was his quarterback, Austin Moherman.
A high school All-American and Ohio State signee, Moherman started the first two games for the Buckeyes in 1999 before losing the starting role. He played 14 games in two years at OSU, completing 36 or 75 passes for 435 yards and two touchdowns.
He left Ohio State following the '99 campaign and enrolled at Southwest Missouri State. He immediately took the starting job, tossing 155 of 296 passes for 1,919 yards last season. He threw 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Kansas coach Terry Allen pointed to the 6-foot-5, 220-pound Moherman as an example of the rising talent in I-AA football. Moherman set an NCAA record when he completed his first 20 passes against Indiana State last year.
"He's a big, strong football player," Allen said. "He's a senior, a veteran and
someone who's been in the I-A arena."
Allen said a rules change five years ago that allowed transfers to play immediately when moving from I-A to I-AA has resulted in a talent increase at that level. The SMS roster included 32 transfers from I-A programs.
Complimenting Moherman's passing game will be senior tailback Jason Ringena. A two-year starter, the senior needs just 81 yards to eclipse the 2,000-yard mark for his career.
Opening holes for the running game will be fullback Demetrius Smith (6-2, 255 pounds) and an experienced offensive line, which Ball called the strength of the team.
"They've got a strong running game and a really big fullback," said Jayhawk defensive Glenn Robinson. "This should be a good test for us as we get ready for the running games in the Big 12."
With only three starters returning on
defense for SMS, Allen said Kansas preparation was just guesswork.
"Three of their four starters in the secondary aren't even in the press guide," he said.
Even though SMS and Kansas have never played, the coaches are familiar with each other. Allen and Ball met seven times when Allen was coach at Northern Iowa and Ball was at Western Illinois. Allen's Panthers won six of the seven meetings.
With his next conference win for his 41st, Ball will overtake Allen as the alltime winningest coach in Gateway Conference history.
Tomorrow's game will be SMS' 17th game against I-A foes. Its only win came in 1990 with a 31 to 24 defeat of UNLV.
A win against SMS will count toward six required wins to qualify Kansas for a bowl game. Teams are allowed to count one I-AW win toward a bowl every four years.
Contact Briggeman at 864-4810
Soccer team to defend its turf in home opener
Kansas has tough bill with games against North Texas, Illinois
By Ryan Wood Kansan sportswriter
North Texas' game plan is a mystery to the Kansas soccer team, but the Jayhawks know what they need to do to win their season opener today.
"We don't really know that much about them because they haven't played yet," said coach Mark Francis. "We can't get scouting reports on them . . . We've got to worry about executing our game and not worry about them as much."
The game against the Eagles begins at 4 p.m. today at Super Target Field. After weeks of practice, and exhibition victories against Southwest Missouri State and the Busch Soccer Club, Francis said he thought that his players were prepared.
just to get into good business North Texas brings an impressive resume to Lawrence. The Eagles finished 15-5-2 last season and have never had a losing season in their six-year existence. They are led offensively by sophomore forward Marilyn Martin, who scored 24 goals and had six assists in her first collegiate season and was named a freshman
"I think they're ready to go." he said. "It's real important to start with a win, just to get into a good habit."
All-American by Soccer Buzz magazine.
"You've got to be aware of good players on other teams, especially good goal scorers." Francis said.
The Jayhawks close out the weekend with a home match against Illinois at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday. Illinois finished 14-8 a year ago and earned a berth in the NCAA tournament. The Fighting Illini were recently ranked 23rd in the Soccer Buzz preseason Top 25 poll.
Notes
Freshman midfielder Stacey Leeper, sidelined with a foot injury, participated in practices this week. Francis said it was doubtful that she would play this weekend.
said. "We want to make sure she's 100 percent before she comes back. She's pretty close to being ready to go back in."
Kansas is 0-1-1 all-time against North Texas. The last meeting between the two ended in a 2-2 tie in Denton, Texas, last October.
Returning defender Pardis Brown provided one of the scores for the Jayhawks.
"Right now, I'd say probably not," he
- The Jayhawks stand 0-1 lifetime against Illinois. The Fighting Illitook took the match 4-0 in Champaign, Ill. last August.
Both games this weekend are free to students who present a valid KUID.
Contact Wood at 864-4810