COMMENTARY
"It makes you appreciate the little things in life" Hatch said.
It's easy to forget the small things that truly matter in life during the infinitely fast 60 minutes of football, where human beings dress up in pads — a body armor of sorts — to help launch themselves at their opponent, their enemy for the day. Kansas, trailing 10-0 to No. 3 Oklahoma in the first quarter of the game, began a drive down the field. Freshman running back Darrian Miller broke through the Oklahoma defense in a run that brought the 42,580 fans at Memorial Stadium to their feet.
Three plays later, with the scoreboard showing fourth and one for Kansas on its 39-yard line, the Jayhawks had a crucial play on their hands. Instead of those fans, outfitted from head to toe in crimson and blue, rising off the bleachers and yelling in encouragement for the Jayhawks to go for it, they were silenced. The stadium grew to an eerie hush, as the Kansas players watched their teammate, captain and friend lay motionless on the field.
Edited by Jonathan Shorman
As for Hatch, he was able to walk away from the frightening injury with a simple lesson learned.
Senior center Jeremiah Hatch was removed from the field on a stretcher and taken out of the stadium in an ambulance. Hatch suffered a blow during the previous play that coach Turner Gill said resulted in him not being able to move his fingers, thus causing the vigilant precautions to take place.
There is more than the score
But, as the Kansas football program caught a break, the rest of the sports world did not.
Hatch returned to the sidelines later in the game and may even be able to play Saturday.
It's easy to get caught up in the grand scheme of sports. The championships that fans so desperately desire, the games that can affect a person's day, week, month or year. But with the glory that runs parallel to the sporting world, also comes an awful price, one that should not be taken for granted.
I
IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon was killed on Sunday, shortly after a 15-car accident during the IndyCar World Championship in Las Vegas. The bright lights of Sin City were dull in comparison to the terrifying scene that brought the often out of touch sports world back to reality.
Barden was starting on the varsity team for the first time. Unfortunately, Barden would miss out on so many other firsts that were yet to come, so many surprises that lay hidden in his future. And the world will miss out on so many things from Barden as a result of sports.
And Wheldon wasn't the only loss the sports world had this weekend.
Senior linebacker Steven Johnson and freshman defensive back Victor Simmons team up to tackle Oklahoma's Dominique Whaley in the first half of Saturday night's game at Memorial Stadium. Kansas lost 47-17 and are now 2-4 for the season. Kansas remains winless in Big 12 play and will facethe undefeated Kansas State Wildcats next weekend.
CHRIS BRONSON/KANSAN
The 33-year-old Wheldon was coming off a victory on the IndyCar scene's grandest stage, the Indianapolis 500. Wheldon had been racing in America since 1999 and was an accomplished driver on the track, but his accomplishments on the track paled in comparison to what he had off of it a family.
Wheldon married his long-time personal assistant in 2008 and had two sons. They will never know and most likely will never remember their father.
A single collision ended the young life of a 16-year-old football player in Phoenix, N.Y., this past Friday night. After a run up the middle at the goal line, one player, Ridge Barden, ended up face down on the field, The New York Times reported. Barden, the backup center, attempted to stand before finally collapsing. He died two hours later as a result of a massive subdural hematoma, a collection of blood in the brain.
CLEAR EYES, FULL HEARTS
DOWN, BUT NOT OUT
MIKE VERNON
mvernon@kansan.com
Senior linebacker Steven Johnson tiptoed out of the post game press conference as it came to its conclusion following Kansas' 47-17 loss to Oklahoma. Johnson didn't do this by choice, but had to limp because he could hardly walk after the effort he gave on the field Saturday.
Johnson finished with 13 tackles, a team high, and one interception. The performance was an impressive one that many of his defensive teammates noticed, including freshman linebacker Collin Garrett.
"I don't think I've ever seen somebody go as hard as he went," Garrett said.
While Johnson could hardly walk after Saturday's game, the scene just a few hours before was the opposite. Johnson, who considers himself to be not much of a talker, said he was a little out of character.
He rallied the troops and delivered an encouraging speech to the struggling defense. Freshman defensive back, Victor Simmons, said the speech was one of the big factors that got the defense pumped before the game and that it got the defense ready to go.
"I don't want to say it's your 'Friday Night Lights' speech or anything like that, but I was just so passionate about this one and I wanted to get this win" Johnson said. "I just wanted everyone to feel the same, to be there with me."
could not have come at a better time for the Jayhawks, who have been integrating some of their younger players into the defensive
action, including Garrett and Simmons.
Johnson's fiery attitude Saturday
Garrett said he looks up to Johnson more than any other player on
the team because of his success at the same position. He said he sees Johnson practicing like it's his last practice every day and that he can't
do anything but imitate Johnson if he wants to be as good as him one
Hannah Hindman, a senior from St. Louis, follows through on a return shot at racquetball practice. Hindman is now in her second year as club president and practices twice a week with the club.
SEE FOOTBALL | 6
CLUB SPORTS
Racquetball team bounces back to competitive status
JAIN TRIMRLE/KANSAN
GEOFFREY BERGSTROM editor@kansan.com
Many years ago, Kansas boasted a No. 13 nationally ranked raceletball club, but membership dwindled to just four members as of last year.
Club president and senior Hannah Hindman is working hard with the new coach of the club, Stephanie Bessent, to bring the club back to its former glory, starting with recruiting new members.
"We're up to 18 players in the club so far this season," Hindman said. "And we were able to take eight players to our last tournament."
Hindman, who is entering her second year as club president, has been playing racquetball for seven years, dating back to her sophomore year of high school. To stay competitive, she plays almost all year in addition to practicing twice a week with the rest of the club. Her hard work has a special motivation behind it, too.
"I like beating the boys," Hindman said.
The KU Racquetball Club boasts all ranges of experience levels. Sophomore Matthew Bevens has only been with the club for a month.
"Last year at George Washington, they had no formal group for racquetball, so I just went out with friends and played," Bevens said. "When I got to KU, they actually had a group, so I just said sign me up."
Although Bevens has yet to play in a competitive match, he still thrives on the competition within the club during their semi-weekly practices.
"There's enough strategy in
the game to keep it mentally interesting and the constant physical movement and competition keeps it fun," Bevens said.
Another new face in the club is coach Stephanie Bessent, a former Kansas racquetball player. Bessent, who has been with the group for about three weeks, spent seven years playing in the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization. She has been playing for more than
30 years. Although she enjoyed her time while playing professionally, Bessent said she feels the most accomplished with her coaching career.
"The year I enjoyed the most was when I coached three juniors to the nationals." Bessent said. "I also had a player play in a men's tournament at age of 14."
SEE RACQUETBALL 16
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Forward receives honors
MAX ROTHMAN
mrothman@kansan.com
CBSSports.com recognized junior forward Thomas Robinson as a preseason first-team All-American on Monday, along with Wisconsin guard Jordan Taylor, Vanderbilt guard John Jenkins, North Carolina forward Har
Robinson
forward Harrison Barnes and Ohio State forward Jared Sullinger.
CBS Sports college basketball insiders Gary Parrish and Jeff Goodman assembled
the list and believe that Robinson's production will increase because of the Morris twins departure.
"Robinson only played about 15 minutes per game last season, but he'll get the chance to be 'The Guy' this year now that the Morris Twins have left. He's relentless and should be good for plenty of double-doubles this season," Parrish and Goodman wrote on the website.
Baylor forward Perry Jones of the preseason All-America second team and Texas guard Myck Kabongo and Oklahoma State forward Le'Bryan Nash of the All-
SEE ROBINSON 16