4 Wednesday, October 7, 1992 OPINION UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN IN OUR OPINION Without Brett, Kansas City will be in serious trouble The baseball playoffs have begun, and once again, the Kansas City Royals have gone home for the winter. The question is, has George Brett gone home for good? It has been seven seasons since the Royals last played a post season game. Like so many seasons for Kansas City, Brett was the main attraction in 1992. The team started 1-16 and never reached .500. At season's end, the Royals were 18 games under .500 and 24 games out of first place. However, Brett still gave fans something to cheer about in his pursuit career hit 3,000. Despite an injury and a dwindling schedule, Brett managed to reach the 3,000-hit plateau and ended the season — and possibly his career — with 3,005 hits. Royals fans are now worried that Brett might not return for the 1993 season. They have every reason to be scared. Even at age 39, Brett is still a vital player in the Royals success. That is a sad statement on how far the team has fallen. In Brett's prime, Kansas City was the crown jewel of the American League West. The team captured the division title in 1976, 1977 and 1978. In 1976, George earned his first batting title and his first selection to more than a dozen consecutive All Star teams. In 1980, Brett led the team to its first World Series while batting an incredible .390 and earning Most Valuable Player honors. Another division title was won in 1984. Finally, in 1985, Kansas City won its only World Series. Brett enjoyed his finest big league season that year. He won his first Gold Glove award, batted .335, led the league with a.585 slugging percentage and knocked in 112 runs. He was the Most Valuable Player in the playoffs and hit .370 in the World Series. Though Brett has continued to excel on the field — he won his third batting title in 1990 — the team has fallen apart. Brett has been a career Royal since 1973. That will never happen again. The team has emaciated its farm system, unloading its most exciting young talent. The trades of players like David Cone and Cecil Fielder have come back to haunt Kansas City. And why did the team sign free agent first baseman Wally Joyner while first baseman Jeff Conine languishes in the Royals' otherwise depleted farm system? Since general manager John Schuerholz left Kansas City for Atlanta, the Royals have quickly deteriorated into one of the most pathetic teams in the American League. Meanwhile, Atlanta has become the powerhouse of the National League West. After the team's worst season since 1970, management put its foot down and fired the base coaches. Pathetic. Making coaches the scapegoat for an inept front office is the trademark of losing teams. New coaches will not solve the shortcomings of general manager Herk Robinson and manager Hal McRae. If Brett is smart, he will retire and go out on top. He has achieved the greatest feat a hitter can strive for. His injury-plagued knees will not be able to hold up for too much longer. His wife is expecting their first child this spring. And the Royals will not be a contender as long as they continue to trade top prospects for mediocre veterans and sign overpriced free agents like Storm Davis while letting sluggers like Danny Tartabull get away. Brett has done more for Kansas City sports than any other athlete. If he does return for one more season, the Royals will be lucky to have him, but he will not be enough to carry the team. He has carried them long enough. DAVID MITCHELL FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD The Theory of Evolution is True!!! Here's Proof!!! Reporters are responsible for creating inane campaign issues A reader has raised a question about presidential campaigns. "I keep hearing about this issue and that issue" he said. "But what I've never understood is, who decides what becomes an issue?" A good question, as candidates say. Some issues are issues because everybody agrees they are issues. The economy is the most obvious example. Those with money want to keep it. Those without money want some. Other issues, such as family values, are created by the professional manipulators who hustle ideas for candidates. But other issues just pop up as a result of reporters being a constant presence on the campaign trail. Let us imagine that Bill Clinton is out for his morning joy and a dog deserves the love. The scene would be captured on film and would be flashed across the And let us say that Clinton's foot swings in an arc and his toe makes contact with the dog's rib cage. The dog yelps and runs away. MIKEROYKO nation. by the evening TV news hour and when newspaper presses rolled, it would be a major story: "Clinton kicks dog." At his next meeting with the press, Cinton would be asked "governor, who's running for governor?" Let's re-read the text one more time. "At his next meeting with the press, Cinton would be asked 'governor," "who's running for governor?" He would answer: "I didn't kick that dog. It ran into my foot." On the next news hour, the story would begin: "Candidate Bill Clinton today denied that he kicked a dog." Dog lovers would then radio talk shows and say "That man sayshe the dog." around kicking them." Suddenly we have a new issue. Clinton would confer with his spin doctors, and at his next briefing, he might say: "After reviewing the videotape of that incident, it appears that I might have reacted instinctively, with my subconscious telling me that the dog might bite, so it is possible that without intending to, I let my foot hit the dog's ribs. But I did not set out to kick that dog. I love animals." The headline would say: "Clinton waffles on door issue." On the McGooy Group'snextshow, host McGooy would bark: "Clinton and the dog: Did he kick it or didn't he? Morton." "Uh, he kicked it, but not on purpose." "Eleanor. "Vicious beast deserved what it got." "Fred." "Tried to kill it, just as he will the American taxpayer." "Who the hell cares?" McGoofv: "The verdict. He brutal- ized it, and there goes the mutt vote." Teams of investigative reporters would be sent to Arkansas to interview longtime Clinton observers about his attitude toward dogs. Some would say: "We've known about this trait for a long time. He's kicked dogs from one end of the house to another, but you should see what he does to cats." But another would say: "When my dog Blue got a chicken bone caught in his throat, Bill jumped in and used the Heilich maneuver, mouth to mouth and saved Blue's life. I remember thinking back then: 'That boy's gonna be president someday.'" At his next news conference, Clinton would be asked: "Governor, there are conflicting views of your attitude toward the kicking of dogs." He would snap: "I believe I have answered those questions. We should move on to other matters, such as whether President Bush's dog actually wrote that book." Mike Royko is a syndicated columnist with the Chicago Tribune. Popularity of country music remains a mystery "Believe what?" I asked. She sounded very distraught as she yelled into my ear: "I can't believe it! Can you believe it?" The other night I was sitting at home, trying to study for an exam, when I got a call from a friend of mine on the East Coast. Believe what I asked. "Turn on your TV. I'm outraged." I was intrigued. What kind of outrageous event was taking place in the world that I was missing? Given my friend's political persuasions, I could only assume that poor Dan Quayle had again been maligned by one of his many detractors. But I was wrong. My friend was watching the Country Music Association's awards show. She had just seen Vince Gill win a vocalist of the year, beating Garthnut twice in long distance to outperform this scandal. She kept me on the phone for an hour. To truly appreciate this, you have to understand that when I met her five years ago, my friend hated country music with a passion usually reserved only for totalitarian leaders and liver. When I started listening to country music two years ago, my friend made snide comments and grimaced when I played it. And then, last year, she started listening to Garth. At first, she only admitted to liking one of his songs. But before I knew it, she was singing along to every song on his tape. Still in denial, she blamed her roommate. "She plays him all the time. It isn't my fault!" she insisted. I have watched country music's But now her comments on Brooks growth in popularity with some interest, because I actually listen to some of it. I grew up in southwest Missouri, where country music is pretty popular. I nated it for years. But when I got tired of the drivet that passes for pop music these days, I decided to try something new. Brooks has played a major part in making country music more mainstream. His songs are not as twangy as more traditional country music. But there is a whole new breed or country singers just like him. They have strayed from the traditional precepts of country music, and they are zooming up and down Billboard's pop album chart. So where is Garthmania coming from, and why? I decided to investigate, and I found that common consensus echoes what my friend told me: Garth is a stud. Women like Brooks because he has a good voice, he sings songs on歌曲 and he is cute and looks smug. Men like Brooks because he sings songs and seems like a good guy. But this still does not explain Garthamia. Why are his fans willing to wait in line for hours just to get a lottery number that might get them tickets? Why have there been weeks when he has had three albums in Billboard's top 50 album chart? Surely some societal ill could explain this. My favorite theory was this: People are so fed up with the state of the nation under the current administration that they need someone to lift their hopes and spirits. This theory was shot down almost as soon as I offered it up. I could not find anyone whose affinity to Brooks was politically based. Garthmania remains an enigma. My friend, by the way, is planning to write to the Country Music Association, protesting the gross miscarriage of justice that allowed Brooks to be assessed over for several awards. She is currently trying to scam backstage passes out of Brooks' manager. Julie Wasson is a Springfield, Mo., senior majoring in political science and journalism. KANSAN STAFF BILL SKEET Technology coordinator Editors ERIC NELSON Editor GREG FARMER Managing editor TOM EBLEN General manager, news adviser Asst. Managing Almee Brainard News Alexander Blohmboh Editorial Stephen Martino Campus Gaye Oterberg Sports Shelly Solon Photo Justin Knapp Features Cody Holt Graphics Sean Tevis SCOTT HANNA Business manager BILL LEIBENGOOD Retail sales manager JEANNE HINES Sales and marketing adviser Business Staff Business Staff Campus sales mgr...Angela Cienguever National sales mgr...Marianne Tolpi National tollp Co-op sales mgr...Amy Stumbo Production mgr...Brad Branston Klinta Clonx Marketing director ...Ashley Langford Director of marketing Classified mgr...Judith Standley Loco Locals Letters should be typed, double-spaced and fewer than 200 words. They must include the letter's signature, name, address and telephone number. Writers affiliated with the University of Kansas must include class and hometown, or faculty or staff position. Guest columns should be typed, double-spaced and fewer than 700 words. The writer will be the Kansas reserve the right to reject or edit letters, guest columns and cartoons. They can be mailed or brought to the Kansas newroom, 111 Staffer-First Hall By Tom Michaud YOU DOWN'T THINK, IN A LIBRARY, PEOPLE WOOD HAVE THE CORRESPONDENT TO ETHER SPEAK UP SO I CAN UNDERSTAND