THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2. 2008
4
SPORTS 9A
quote of the day
"We just don't have a presence about ourselves like we will. A lot of it is that we're young and we need to get in the weight room for another year or two, but we're going to be playing teams that have already been in the weight room a year or two. There are no excuses. These guys need to step up and be tough."
Kansas coach Bill Self
fact of the dav
trivia of the day
Qt What is the Kansas basketball single-season record for points scored by a freshman?
Kansas freshman Tyshawn Taylor leads Kansas' five freshman with 9.8 points per game through five games this season.
A: Danny Manning scored 496 points in 1985.
sports schedule
Today No events
Wednesday
Men's basketball: New Mexico
State, 7 p.m. (Lawrence)
Thursday
Women's basketball: San Jose State, 7 p.m. (Lawrence)
Swimming & Diving: Kenyon Invite, all day (Gambier, Ohio)
Friday
Swimming & Diving: Kenyon Invite, all day (Gambier, Ohio)
Track: Holiday Preview, all day (Ames, Iowa)
Saturday
Saturday
Men's basketball: Jackson
State, 1 p.m. (Lawrence)
Swimming & Diving: Kenyon
Invite, all day (Gambier,
Ohio)
CYCLING
CYCLING Armstrong to compete in 2009 Tour de France
AUSTIN, Texas — Lance Armstrong will ride in the 2009 Tour de France, marking the first time he will compete in that race and the Giro d'Italia in the same year.
"I'm committed to riding for the best guy," Armstrong said Monday, acknowledging the taxing schedule could leave him riding in a supporting role in France.
The Giro runs May 9-31, and the Tour begins Julv 4.
With such a quick turn-around between two gruelling races, the seven-time Tour champion acknowledged his body might not perform at the same level it did when he won his last Tour in 2005.
"If you've been away for three or four years, it would be silly for anybody to think I could pick up where I left off," Armstrong told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from Tenerife in the Canary Islands where Astana is training. "I can tell you I feel better than ever. I feel stronger than ever on Dec. 1. How that translates to racing, we'll have to see. Mentally, in terms of motivation, this feels like 1998-1999 to me."
Armstrong's decision to ride gives the powerhouse Astana team a superstar lineup in France, including 2007 Tour winner Alberto Contador. He missed last year's race because Astana was barred from riding for previous doping violations.
Armstrong stunned the cycling world in September, when he announced he was ending his three-year retirement.
He said then his goal was to race in the Tour but stopped short of a guarantee.
Also riding with Astana is Germany's Andreas Kloeden, American veteran Levi Leipheimer and top support rider Yaroslav Popovych. Astana is considered by far the strongest multistage team.
"We'll abide by the same code that I do: Cycling is team sport, while we'd all like to win!" he said.
Associated Press
Looking back at the Big 12's best of the best
The Big 12 Conference football season is over for everyone except the Missouri Tigers and Oklahoma Sooners, which means it's time for some All-Big 12 and All-KU selections.
Big 12 Offensive player of the year: Colt McCoy, Texas quarterback.
Sam Bradford is the safe choice here, but McCoy did more with less to work with in 2008. Bradford had a higher quarterback rating, threw for 500 more yards and commandered his team to the title game. But McCoy finished with the nation's third-best
quarterback rating without the benefit of prolific running backs. In fact, McCoy was the Longhorns' running game. He gained 576 yards and scored 10 touchdowns on the ground.
Kansas offensive player of the year: Kerry Meier, junior wide receiver.
Someone should tell ESPN and Fox Sports that Meier is not a backup quarterback playing wide receiver. He's the most steady receiver in the conference, maybe even the nation. He reeled in 87 receptions and seven touchdowns this season.
Big 12 Defensive player of the year: Brian Orakpo, Texas defensive end.
Orakpo, a 260-pound pass-rusher with the most beastly body in college football, outdid his impressive workout numbers (515-pound bench press, 4.6-second 40-yard dash) with his stat line (10.5 sacks, 36 tackles,
15. 5 tackles-for-loss and four forced fumbles),
Kansas defensive player of the year James Holt, senior linebacker.
Sophomore defensive end Jake
Laptad and junior safety Darrell Stuckey deserve mention for helping support Kansas' lax defense, but Holt emerged as a true star this season. The outside linebacker, who arrived at KU as a safety before bulking up to 220 pounds, recorded seven sacks and led the layhawks with 97 tackles and 15.5 tackles-for-loss.
Big 12 Special teams player of the year: Dez Bryant and Perrish Cox, Oklahoma State returners.
Byrant, a punt returner, and Cox.
a kickoff returner, each led the Big 12 in yards per return in their respective fields. They combined to score four touchdowns.
Kansas speacial teams player of
the year. Jacob Branstetter, freshman kicker.
Branstetter posted a healthy 75 percent mark on field goals. What he lacked in leg strength he made up for with tackling gusto on kickoffs. He made a few impressive stops,
including a key takedown of Missouri returner Jeremy Maclin late in the Border Showdown victory.
Kansas football team, which I thought would lose - and lose big - to Missouri in last weekend's Border Showdown.
OOPS,MY BAD
Most sincere apologies to the
Stuckey proved that good things happen to great people who work hard and never give up on a play. Todd Reesing showed the value of unbreakable confidence against immense odice. Kerry Meier displayed the best hands in the Big 12. Jake Sharp battled through some serious pain to remind everyone of his viability as an every-down back. Laptad rekindled memories of former KU pass-rusher extraordinaire, Charlton Keith.
I learned my lesson. I won't pick against Kansas no matter which poor Big Ten team it draws in the Insight Bowl.
I was wrong; Mark Mangino and the lahwahs were right.
Edited by Andy Greenhaw
CRIME
Giants' Burress posts $100K bail
BY COLLEEN LONG ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Taken to court in handcuffs, Plaxico Burress posted $100,000 bail on weapons possession charges Monday as the frenzy grew around the Giants star receiver who accidentally shot himself in a nightclub.
Authorities said teammate Antonio Pierce was being investigated over his role in the weekend shooting, while the Super Bowl-champion Giants weren't sure what action they would take, if any, against Burress. The NFL said it was monitoring developments. Mayor Michael Bloomberg also weighed in, saying it would be an outrage "if we didn't prosecute to the fullest extent of the law."
Burress shot himself in the right thigh in the VIP section of the Latin Quarter nightclub in Manhattan about 1 a.m. Saturday, police said. He did not have a permit to carry a handgun in New York.
A witness reported hearing a popping sound before Burress' legs began to shake, according to a criminal complaint. It said the person saw a bloody pistol fall out of his pant leg and land on the floor before Burress said, "Take me to a hospital."
It's believed Pierce took Burress to a car and then left with him, according to police. Burress was treated at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and released later Saturday.
Burress was charged with two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, which could result in a prison sentence of 3/4 years to 15 years if he is
convicted. He was not required to enter a plea Monday and is due back in court on March 31. Burress did not say anything in court.
"He is standing tall. He is a mature adult," said Benjamin Brafman, his defense lawyer. "I think any professional athlete in this situation would be concerned."
He said Burress is feeling OK. "If they let him play, he will be able to play. ... I think he will be a superstar for the rest of his career."
Originally, police had said that running back Derrick Ward was with Burress and Pierce at the club, relying on information given to them from security guards at the bar. But police said later that it was unclear if Ward was at the club, and Ward denied that he was.
The Giants have not decided what to do with Burress, who was suspended for a game and fined earlier this season for missing a team meeting in September. New York could either suspend him again or deactivate him for Sunday's game at home against the Eagles. There are more extreme actions, such as releasing Burress, but that could put a strain on the team's salary cap next season.
"We're dealing with that," coach Tom Coughlin said in a conference call Monday. "Today we had some discussions and those discussions will be ongoing."
Coughlin would not speculate what the team would do if Burress showed up for practice Wednesday.
Police have looked at security video from the club and hospital and determined that Burress arrived at 1:20 a.m. and left at 1:50 a.m. He arrived at the hospital at 2:04 a.m. and went home 11 hours
later.
The shooting occurred as Burress somehow fumbled his gun . 40-caliber Glock — in the VIP section and it discharged, hitting his leg.
Pierce was with Burress when that occurred, police said. The weapon was eventually recovered at Burress' house in New Jersey, authorities said.
Police expressed frustration with the NFL and Giants officials, saying they were promised that Pierce would appear at a police precinct Monday where Burress went before heading to court.
But Pierce didn't show. Detectives also went to Pierce's house in New Jersey and he was not there.
Police said the Giants did send a member of their medical staff to the precinct who may be able to shed some light on what transpired the night of the shooting, and presumably to relay Pierce's version of events.
"It was a universe of silence after this shooting," said Paul Browne, NYPD Deputy Commissioner for public information.
Pierce declined to provide specifics about the incident Monday during a radio interview, but he said that many facts of the case have been "misconstrued" and "distorted."
"Today has been a headache and that's about all I can say," he told WFAN.
The Giants released a statement disputing the police version of their involvement. "We are working closely with the police and NFL Security," it said.
KICK THE KANSAN: RESULTS
And down the stretch we come. As Kick The Kansan heads into the final week, let's honor the Kick The Kansan: Week 11 victor. Justin Anderson, Laurel, Neb, senior, took the crown with a 6-4
holding on to first place by two games while sporting a 90-40 record. Can Bergman hold on? Will The Kansan keep from getting "kicked" one last time? Stay tuned.
record. Anderson, however, was unable to "kick" The Kansan. Kansan Design Editor Drew Bergman and Kansan.com Managing Editor Kelsey Hayes both finished 6-4. And so, as we reach the finish line, Bergman is
KICK THE KANSAN:
WEEK THIRTEEN
Pick games. Beat the Kansan staff.Get your name in the paper.
1. No. 12 Ball State vs. Buffalo
5. No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Florida
2. No. 17 Boston College vs. No. 25 Virginia Tech
4. No. 5 USC at UCLA
5. No. 20 Missouri vs. No. 2 Oklahoma
7. East Carolina at Tulas
7. East Carolina at Tulsa
8. Navy vs. Army
9. No.23 Pittsburgh at Connecticut
Submit your picks either to KickTheKansan@kansan.com or to the Kansan business office, located at the West side of Stauffer-Flint Hall, which is between Wescoe Hall and Watson Library.
1) Only KU students are eligible.
Name:
E-mail:
Year in school:
Hometown:
2) Give your name, e-mail, year in school and hometown.
3) Beat the Kansan's best prognosticator and get your name in the paper.
in the paper.
4) Beat all your peers and get your picture and picks in the paper next to the Kansan staff.
5) To break ties, pick the score of the designated game.
1985, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008 JIMMY JOHN J. FRANCISCO, LLC