University Daily Kansan / Friday, September 5, 1986
Sports
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NCAA delavs action against Nebraska
United Press International
LINCOLN, Neb. — The NCAA stayed sanctions yesterday against 60 Nebraska football players, allowing the school to field its regular roster for tomorrow's nationally televised game against Florida State.
The NCAA agreed to postpone enforcement of suspensions against Nebraska players who misused season passes by giving them to non-relatives and non-students. Nebraska of officials requested the delay.
"We believe that the uniqueness of this case merits delaying the implementation," said David L. Maggard, chairman of the NCAA Council's Subcommittee on Eligibility Appeals and director of athletics at the University of California-Berkley.
"It would be unfair to any student-athlete declared ineligible by the university for
tomorrow's game should the subcommittee ultimately uphold the appeal and restore the eligibility of each individual who is affected," Maggard said.
Nebraska officials had, at one point, considered forlioring the game to Florida State.
"I think we're pleased with this," Jim
Nebraska head coach Dick Osborne whose
whose team won in the country.
team is ranked No. 1 because "It gives us an opportunity to draw our breath. The decision by the NCAA came so fast that we couldn't alter practice."
Martin Massengale, chancellor at Nebraska, said the NCAA agreed to hear the appeal by conference call Tuesday.
"Our request was to stay the ruling on the eligibility of the players until our appeal can be heard by the Council's Subcommittee on Elegibility Appeals," Massengela said.
Nebraska players receive two passes for
each home game and 60 players get four passes. Osborne declined to say which players were involved but said it was about three-fourths of the top two units.
three batters. The NCAA said 53 players were ineligible for one game and seven were ineligible for two games.
The team held 10 players out for the game against No. 11 Florida State, Osborne said he would have wanted to adjust practice to be at least two deep at every position.
Nebraska was given the option of suspending 60 players for one game and seven for a second game, or of holding out 10 for six games and seven for another game, Osborne said.
He said that although forfeiture of the Florida State game had been considered, it was ruled out. He said that had a stay not been granted, the Huskers would have held
out 10 players and still played the game.
Bob Goodrich, producer of the game for ABC Sports, said the network planned to televise the game nationwide as scheduled He said the controversy might build interest in the game.
Osborne said the violations were totally self-reported.
"We never would encourage anybody to lie but we could have said 'you don't have to incriminate yourself if you don't want to.'" he said.
"This is a case where people really were totally honest. We were given the impression by the NCAA that this was an unenforceable rule, that everyone has problems with it and don't worry about it," he said.
But Stephen Morgan, assistant executive director of the NCAA Compliance and Enforcement Division, said the NCAA imposed
the lightest possible penalty
There have been an NCAA-record 143 consecutive sellouts at Nebraska's Memorial Stadium.
Observe said the NCAA uncovered the season-pass issue during an investigation into the leasing of a car by i-back Doug DuBose, considered a Heisman Trophy contender before a knee injury that ended his college career.
Osborne said allegations that someone connected with the university co-signed the lease were unfounded and DuBose's money was provided by his parents.
Some violations dated from the university's Lincoln Parents Program, which was disbanded this year. In the program, families in the community give moral support to players.
Rugby gaining popularity at Kansas
By ANNE LUSCOMBE
Sports writer
Although it looks like football without the pads, Rugby actually is more similar to basketball, the Kansas rugby head coach said yesterday.
"The play is constantly changing from offense to defense," head coach Bill Mills said. "There are no forward passes and no blocking, but the movement is like basketball. However, it is very much a contact sport."
Much of the game still resembles football. The field, with uprights at each end, looks like a football field, and the rugby ball looks like an over-inflated football. But the game's fast-paced action is truer to basketball. So much so, that when Dean Naismith invented basketball he called it "indoor rugby."
Kansas rugby is divided into three teams. The club side is made of the most experienced players, who usually are about 25 years old. However, collegiate players may play on the club team. The team competes against other city teams.
The varsity squad, which plays against other collegiate teams, consists completely of Kansas undergraduate students. The best players may play on the club side, however. If both teams have important matches, the student athletes remain with the varsity team.
The third group is the senior reserve team. These players are either not experienced enough to play on the other teams, or they play only for fun. The team does compete against other reserve teams, however.
Mark Porter/KANSAN
Lou Blanco, Skokie, Ill., senior, goes up for the ball during rugby practice. KU will open its season tomorrow in Chicago. The rugby team practiced yesterday at the rugby fields at 23rd and Iowa streets.
"The club is very impressive and is a great advantage for Kansas," said Lou Blanco, senior team captain from Skokie, Ill. "The club players also help the other players because they are so experienced. We show films of practices and matches back at the clubhouse, and the club players tell us what we're doing wrong."
Traveling costs are paid for by the players. This season the club team will play in Chicago; Aspen, Col.; Dallas; Houston and various cities in Missouri. In January, the club will tour Belgium and Holland and play in an international meet in London.
Kansas has built a respected program, Mills said. The team is ranked second in the Heart of America subunion, which is part of the Western Rugby Union. The team also is ranked ninth in the Western Union.
Twenty-two players are on the
varsity roster, but 25 is the ideal number, Mills said. The entire KU rugby squad is composed of 100 players.
Because the sport is so team-
Kansas travels to Illinois this weekend where the club and varsi-
oriented, it is hard to have a star. Mills said. All the players are working for one goal.
ty teams will take on the Chicago Griffins and Chicago Blaze. The first home match is Sept. 13, when the varsity team will play Pittsburgh State.
Slippery Rock has fans across country
Small university got big-name recognition 50 years ago
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa — Shipper Rock, the little school with a funny name and a cult following, opens its season tomorrow against Hillsdale, the NAIA Division I co-champions. And announcers at major college games across the country can't wait. "We announce their score at all of our games," said Bruce Madej, sports information director at Michigan. "We do it religiously. They could be called America's small college team."
The Associated Press
"The name has a fascination; it turns people on," said Beano Cock, a former ABC-TV college football analyst. "A presidential candidate in the New Hampshire primary would love to have the name recognition of Slippery Rock."
Football at Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and other college powerhouses is comparable to a slick Hollywood production; at Slippery Rock it's more like a low-budget movie home.
gain champions
One writer satirically crowned
the national fascination with the school, located about 45 miles north of Pittsburgh, began 50 years ago. In 1936, pollsters were divided over Minnesota and Pittsburgh as college football champions.
Slippery Rock because it beat Westminster 14-0, which beat West Virginia Wesleyan 7-6, which beat Dusqueen 2-0, which beat Pitt 7-0, which had beaten Notre Dame 26-0.
'A presidential candidate in the New Hampshire primary would love to have the name recognition of Slippery Rock.'
Beano Cook
"People just cheer Slippery Rock because they think the name sounds funny," said John Carpenter, Slippery Rock's sports information director for 17 years. "To me, Kalamazoo is funny.
which beat Northwestern 26-6, which
shut out Minnesota 6-0.
Since then, the mere mention of the school's name generates chuckles at other college games.
former college football analyst
"We're not popular for the same reason as the New York Yankees or the Dallas Cowboys. It's more like why Catholics root for Notre Dame. I think a lot of people have adopted us."
fad. It's a phenomenon.
The school, which has 6,500 students and is one of 14 Pennsylvania owned universities, could be Weechachochapohka University. That's the word the Seneca Indians gave to the slimy rocks they tumbled on while chasing British soldiers in 1779. The legend says the soldiers crossed the creek in hard-soled boots; the Indians slid in their smooth moccasins.
"This thing doesn't die. It's not a
Tomorrow could be a long day for Slippery Rock. The team lost 10 starters from a squad that went 5-5 last year, Hillsdale, located in Michigan, returns 29 lettermen from a team that went 11-1-1, tying Central Arkansas 10-10 for the championship of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
But winning and losing seem to have little to do with Slippery Rock's renowned
well our team does. Penn State can have a good year or a bad year, and business drop off. With Slippery Rock, it's almost a cult following like some movies have."
"There's definitely a football tie-in to our popularity, but our sales are always consistent," said Stan Shedaker, manager of the school's bookstore. "It doesn't depend on how
The mystique has led to national exposure.
In 1964, Slippery Rock played a regular season game in the Rose Bowl against California State College at Los Angeles. It also played in the Knute Rocke Bowl in Atlantic City, N.J., in 1972 and the national small college playoffs in 1974. ABC-TV made one of its game a regional telecast in 1983.
For skeptics, the school peddles a green and white pendant that says: "Yes. There Really Is A Slippery Rock."
"The year before, we had announced Slippery Rock was losing in the final minute to Shippensburg. Then we announced they came back to win. The crowd went bananas," said Michigan's athletic director Don Canham. "So I figured, why not invite them here for a rematch? We drew 63,000 people."
And in 1979, Michigan invited Shippery Rock to play Pennsylvania rival Shippensburg in its stadium.
KU intrasquad race will determine team for Hawks 1st meet
By RIC ANDERSON
Sports writer
The members of the Jayhawk men's cross country team looked more like field hands than distance runners yesterday as they raked dry grass clippings to prepare their course for today's intrasquad meet.
Craig Watchee, South Bend, Ind. sophomore, said, "This is the glory part of the sport."
He said the 6.2 mile course, located at head coach Bob Timmons' Rim
Cross Country
The top seven finishes in today's meet, which begins at 4 p.m., will represent Kansas on Sept. 12 against the Southern Illinois Salukis in the Kansas Invitational.
Rock Farm north of Lawrence, was in excellent shape for the meet. Watke said that this year would be easy and fun, not like last year when mud and severe heat made the intrasquad meet quite unpleasant.
Timmons, who spent much of yesterday's practice on a lawnmower, said the squad probably wouldn't feel as much pressure in today's meet as they would in an inter-collegiate meet.
Gerald Harder, South Sioux Falls,
Neb., agreed.
"It will be easier," he said. "You know what the guys you're running with can do."
Winning the meet, he said, would take a little something more than cool concentration.
Harder said it would be hard to pick the winners of today's race because the squad had been running in a tight pack all year.
"We're about perfectly where we should be," he said. "This year we've trained more to race instead of just running."
"I'll have to run a smart race," he said. "Then at the last I will be coming on strong."
Mike Tribolet, Tolleson, Ariz. freshman, said he was a bit nervous about the intrasquid meet, since it decided who would be on the team.
Harder said that he hoped his running experience would be enough to push him toward the front of the pack and that his key to success would be to start slower than the less experienced runners, hoping that they tire.
Harder, who placed 40th last year in the NCAA District V cross country meet, said the squad was in good shape for the Kansas Invitational.
"It I'll take a lot of effort and mental toughness," Tribolet said. "It all boils down to who wants it the worst."
Timmons said the squad members wouldn't lose their sense of teamwork when competing with each other.
"These guys all have a great attitude." Timmons said.
United Press International
Oklahoma begins its national title defense tomorrow against an opponent the Sooners would rather see in January than September.
OU begins defense of its national title
Oklahoma is among four Big Eight teams opening play tomorrow while a fifth plays for the second time this year.
The No. 1 Sooners host No. 4 UCLA and No. 8 Nebraska is scheduled to welcome No. 11 Florida State in a pair of nationally televised games. Colorado and Colorado State play out their intra-state rivalry while Oklahoma State heads south for a game at Southwestern Louisiana.
The key game, however, is at Oklahoma, where the winner will have a good start on a possible national title.
Kansas State, 1-0, heads for the Texas panhandle and a game at Texas Tech.
"it's quite a test early. I think we're going to be a good football team, but I know what happens when your play determines who wins the
"I think it gets everybody's attention," Sooners' head coach Barry Switzer said. "I wish it wasn't that caliber of opponent. I'm sure they feel the same way.
game and sometimes the best team doesn't win."
A good example was Kansas State lining up Western Illinois for its opener last week. According to head coach Stan Parrish, the Wildcats were in need of a victory as a confidence builder. The Leathernecks, 5-5 on the Division 1-AA level last year, were just the answer. The result was a 35-7 Kansas State victory that made the Wildcats feel good about themselves.
But UCLA is on the other end of the football spectrum.
"They've got great speed — West Coast speed they call it since they've got so much out there." Switzer said of the Bruins. "They're exciting; a very good football team."
Swiffer said that was particularly true in early season games when mental mistakes were more apparent.
Colorado and Oklahoma State have different tasks ahead of them. They aren't playing national powers, but they are playing teams that perhaps look at these openers as the biggest games on their schedules.
Kansas State, going against a team that is expecting a good season, will play Texas Tech with the advantage of a game under its belt.
Royals slip by White Sox
United Press International
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kevin Seitler's first two days as a major leaguer would make a pretty good career.
Seitzer opened the eighth inning last night with a pinch-hit single. He later scored and helped the Kansas City Royals to a 1-9 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
Seitzer's run dropped Bill Dawley to 0-6 on the year while winning pitcher Steve Farr, who relieved Mark Gubicza, improved his record to 8-3.
The victory allowed Kansas City to escape with a split of the four-game series, despite scoring just three runs.
On Wednesday, in his major-league debut, Seitzer scored the running run in the ninth inning and knocked in the winner in the 10th. He hit .500 in those two games.
strike out; he's going to make contact," Kansas City interim manager Mike Ferraro said. "He's been up there six times and hit the ball hard five times."
Seitzer still seems in awe of the major leagues, until he swings the bat.
"I wasn't anticipating anything," he said. "I was just looking for a pitch I could handle.
"These guys are in control out there. I'm just kind of blind up there."
The combined pitching staff were sharp, giving up just eight hits and striking out 18. About the only black player was Gabicza's, eight walks.
]
But he gave up only three hits and Farr collected three strike outs while getting the last five batters in order.
"It's hard to win a game nothing-to-nothing," said Chicago Manager Jim Fregosi.
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