WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2002
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 3B
Men'screwendsfallslate
The University of Kansas club rowing teams found a fruitful ending to their fall season that included three medal-winning boats and most notably a new course record earned by the Mixed Open Four boat.
The competition took place on Nov. 9 in Natchitoches, La., on Cane River Lake, KU's record-setting boat captured a time of 3:29.5 on the 26.2 mile Marathon Rowing Championships course.
Team secretary, senior Eric Buschelman, said it was difficult to stay in a boat and keep the same motion for such a long time and the team was pleased with the results.
KU bested the previous course record by more than 12 minutes. The team competed with about 100 other competitors.
Other medal-winning boats came from the Mixed Open Double boat, capturing first place in its race and second place from the Women's Open Eight boat.
The competition capped off a successful fall campaign for the club rowing team, which will regroup with a two-week rest period before launching into a winter training program focusing on endurance and strength training.
"We are going to be starting real easy with a strong emphasis on building up and making sure we don't get hurt." Buschelman said.
The fall season featured strong showings from its large novice class as well as impressive performances by veteran member boats.
On the men's side, a four-man boat with Tommy Ryan, Jeff Albritton, Bo McCall and Jeremy Struemph posted an impressive showing in an earlier competition
in Boston.
At the same competition, the women's team showed its strength with a solid performance from the Women's Open Eight boat.
This fall's women's squad is among the best in recent years for Kansas, said Buschelman.
KU will be out of competition until the Sunflower State Championships in late March. Other competitions in the highly competitive spring season will include a trip to Madison, Ws., for the Midwest Rowing Championships in preparation to send Kansas' two best boats to Philadelphia.
"The spring season is really competitive," Buschelman said. "We are satisfied with our fall season, but we are going to have to work harder."
Steve Vockrodt
The Associated Press
Wells testifies in fight trial
NEW YORK — New York Yankees pitcher David Wells testified yesterday he was sucker-punched and "knocked for a loop" in a late-night fight inside a Manhattan diner in September.
The 27-year-old Graziosa was charged with misdemeanor counts of assault, menacing and possession of a weapon—a butter knife he is accused of waving at Wells. He faces up to a year in jail if convicted.
Wells testified about the one-punch fight in the early morning hours of Sept. 7 and said he never touched defendant, Rocco Graziosa, before he was hit in the jaw.
Wells recounted that
Graziosa, who was in the dinner with friends, punched him without provocation and then stood there "smiling like he did the best thing in the world."
Wells described Graziosa as foul-mouthed and insulting and said the defendant punched him after making insensitive remarks about his late mother.
Wells said he was punched as he walked toward the bathroom.
"I turned to his buddies and said, 'Enough is enough.'" Wells testified. "And then when I testured, he sucker-punched me. ... I was knocked for a loop."
Wells, staggered by the blow, fell and gashed his forehead on a diner table, Assistant District Attorney Brian McCarthy said. Wells, who had two teeth
knocked out in the fight, spent seven hours at a dentist the next day, the prosecutor said, adding work on the player's teeth was not finished until Monday.
McCarthy asked the 6-foot-4, 250-pound Wells if he ever touched the 5-foot-7, 150pound Graziosa.
The pitcher responded: "I never touched him at all."
In opening statements, defense attorney Henry Mazurek said Wells was "stinking drunk" when he instigated—and then lost—the fight.
"Ladies and gentlemen, David Wells was stinking drunk," Mazurek said, acknowledging that his client was drinking. too. "You'll hear from David Wells himself that he was intoxicated."
Backup's injury eases Rams' QB controversy, for the moment
The Associated Press
ST. LOUIS — Marc Bulger's finger injury takes care of the St. Louis Rams' quarterback controversy, at least for this week.
Bulger, who was 5-0 as the starter to help revive the team while Kurt Warner was out, won't practice until at least Friday because of swelling in his sprained right index finger. It's conveniently timed for conspiracy theorists, considering Warner reclaims his starting job for Sunday's game at Washington as the Rams (5-5) begin a three-game road swing.
"This is all orchestrated," coach Mike Martz said yesterday.
tongue firmly in cheek. "I guess you probably ought to get photographs of the finger. Do you want me to get you the finger?"
Seriously, Martz maintained all last week that no matter what Bulger did, he was just filling in. As for any naysayers, he would simply remind them that Warner has been the NFL's MVP two of the last three years, is the highest-rated passer in the history of the league and led the team to a pair of Super Bowls since his surprise ascendancy in 1999.
Martz discounts Warner's mediocre numbers this year, considering the Rams' 0-4 start a team collapse as they struggled to come to grips with their Super
Bowl upset loss to the Patriots. He had a lone touchdown pass and eight interceptions during the Rams' 0-4 start, but the opposing defenses were among some of the league's best (Broncos, Bucs, Giants) and the line was banged up.
On the other hand, Bulger led the Rams to a comeback victory over the Chargers last week after Marshall Faulk left with ankle and foot injuries, and played without him in Monday's 21-16 victory over the Bears.
Martz said Faulk again would be questionable for the Redskins game with a high ankle sprain by far the more troublesome of the injuries.
"It's a very mild one, but it's one that's limited him a little bit, so we'll just have to see how he is," Martz said. "He plans to practice this week but we'll just have to see."
Bulger is scheduled to be the backup at Washington, but Martz said he wouldn't consider him a relief pitcher of sorts while Warner works his way back into form.
"To me, it's like asking would you do that with Brett Favre?" Martz said. "Why is that any different? No, I don't see any reason to do that at this point."
Teammates have been expecting this move, and there have been no dissenters despite Bul-
ger's league-leading 106.0 passer rating and his 1,496 yards passing — an NFL record for the first five starts of a career.
"Kurt's been doing this for a long time and I don't think anything was ever in jeopardy," offensive guard Timmerman said. "Marc got some great experience and who knows what happens down the line?"
"But we know we've got a good quarterback who can come in and play."
It goes without saying that Bulger wasn't overjoyed to be headed back to the bench. But both he and Warner have been saying all the right things throughout this controversy, and Martz said the
relationship offstage has remained solid as well.
"I think it's hard to handle it any better," Martz said. "That goes back to the type of people they are. They're very humble, both guys, and yet they're very competitive and would like to be the guy."
Every week during his amazing run, Bulger downplayed his impressive numbers.
"There's always things you could have done," Bulger said. "Being a quarterback you touch the ball on every play and I certainly didn't make every play I should have and every read I should have."
Best Deal on Campus.
Student discounts and other exclusive promos from Apple make the holidays merrier and switching to the Mac easier.
The new iMac·Starting at $1,099 Discounted just for Students
Actual Size.
Holds up to 4,000 songs 10 hour battery life Download a CD in seconds
iPod·Starting at $269 Discounted just for Students
Special Promos
Apple has great promos going to help make buying a Mac and the accessories you need more affordable, all discounted for Students.
Brighten your holidays.
Buy a Mac and an HP DeskJet 3B20 or 5550 printer and receive a $99 rebate.
Expires January 7,2003
Double your memory.
Double the standard configuration of memory for only $40 on any Mac.
Expires December 31,2002
For more information on these and other promotions, please visit www.apple.com/education/promos/
Get your student discount at: Union Technology Center KU Bookstore Level 2, Kansas Union
Tal and © 2009 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved. Learn more at 1-800-MY-APPLE.
.