SPORTS
9A
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2008
quote of the day
"The biggest issue for us is that we were able to have a corner last year that we could put on an island and therefore help the other corner, which solidified our pass defense."
fact of the day
—Kansas coach Mark Mongino on former All-American Talib
Greg Ostertag played with the Jazz, Raef LaFrentz with the Nuggets, Scot Pollard with Kings, Jacque Vaughn with Hawks, Manning with Mavericks, and Pierce with the Celtics in 2001 NBA season.
— funtrivia.com
trivia of the day
Q: What kind of ball did James Naismith use in his first basketball goal
A: A soccer ball
NFL
League narrows search for players'union head
The search committee seeking a replacement for the late Gene Upshaw to run the NFL Players Association has narrowed the field to a little more than a dozen candidates, some with no previous ties to the union or the NFL, a person with knowledge of the search told the Associated Press.
The committee met this week with the search firm seeking candidates to replace Upshaw, who died in August. The union hopes to have a list of finalists set by early next year and select its new executive director in March.
Associated Press
Basketball team resembles Allen's 1953 squad
"All right boys, this is going to be the roughest, toughest season a University of Kansas team has ever faced. And to you, captain Dean Kelly, you're the only returning regular and you and the rest of these boys have to carry a terrific load. Do you think you can do it? I think you can do it. What do you think?"
The year was 1953 and the Jayhawks returned to Lawrence to raise a third National Championship banner. Coach Phog Allen had the daunting task of replacing four starters on a team that not only won a title but had seven players
take home the Olympic gold in basketball the year before.
Dean Kelly, a 5-foot-11 guard, was the lone starter from the previous season. Kelley had averaged 6.5 points per game and was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team. That season the lahayhwars were picked to place fourth in the Big Seven Conference and started out as the AP No. 20-ranked team.
That year the layhawks went on to surprise everyone. B.H. Born, a 6-foot-9 center became a team leader and averaged 18.9 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. In 1952, Born averaged just 1.2 points per game as a backup. The team went on to win the Big Seven title and advance to the Final Four against No. 2 Washington.
Washington came unprepared for the game. Born and legendary North Carolina coach Dean Smith, then a player for Kansas, recalled the game in the book "Mac's Boys."
a book about the 1953 Indiana
Hoosiers.
"I don't think Washington bothered to scout us because they thought wel lost everybody from the year before and weren't that tough." Born said.
"The first 10 minutes (against Washington) were unbelievable. They had a hard time getting a shot," Smith said.
The result: Kansas 79. Washington 53. The Jayhawks were headed to defend the national title against Indiana.
Kansas put up a valiant effort against heavily favored No. 1 Indiana in Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium but lost on the final shot of the game 69-68.
Fifty-five years later, the 2008-2009 edition of Kansas basketball will go to Kansas City's Sprint Center Monday and Tuesday for the CBE Classic Tournament to face Washington and then Florida
or Syracuse.
Will history repeat itself this season? After two games, it's far too early in the season to tell. On paper though, there are several similarities between the 1953 team and these jayhawks.
Kansas started the season ranked No.23 and was ranked third in the preseason Big 12 poll.
This year's team features a 5-foot-11 guard, Sherron Collins, who was an integral part of last
year's title, and former backup center Cole Aldrich.
Only time will tell if this team has the magic that Phog Allen's boys had in 1953. Should this team struggle early, it wouldn't be
any different than the 1953 team, which lost to the Rice Owls in just their second game.
- Edited by Jennifer Torline
MLB
Steinbrenner passes control of Yankees off to son 'The Boss' officially steps away from the duties with the team he bought in 1973
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — George Steinbrenner's 35-year reign as boss of the New York Yankees ended Thursday when he passed control of baseball's most famous team to his youngest son, Hal.
The elder Steinbrenner has gradually withdrawn from the Yankees' day-to-day operations in recent years, and brothers Hal and Hank were appointed co-chairmen in April.
"I realize it's a great responsibility," said Hal Steinbrenner. "My dad is, needless to say, a tough act to follow."
George Steinbrenner, now 78,
headed a group that bought the club in January 1973 for an $8.7 million net price and became one of the most high-profile owners in all of sports. He dominated the back pages of New York's tabloids, earning the nickname "The Boss" as he spent lavishly on players and changed managers 20 times during his first 23 years as owner, feuding with Billy Martin, Yogi Berra and Dave Winfield.
The Yankees regained their former glory, winning six World Series titles and 10 American League pennants from 1976-2003. They also have transformed themselves into a billion-dollar business that owns a cable television network and food concession company and is preparing to move into a $1.3 billion new Yankee Stadium next year.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, right, slaps hands with his son, Hal, before a ceremony renaming Legends Field to George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla.
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Steinbrenner is baseball's longest-serving current owner, but has been in declining health following fainting spells that required hospitalization in December 2003 and October 2006.
Case Keefer Basketball (75-36)
His speech in public has been halting and weak since the second fall, and he has needed assistance when walking. He delivered the balls for the ceremonial first pitches from a golf cart at July's All-Star game, then stayed home in Florida to watch the park's final game on television in September.
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MLB
Weather won't ever stop the playoffs
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — There has never been a rain-shortened game in the postseason, and now there never will be.
Baseball commissioner Bud Selig announced the sport will enact a rules change stating that postseason games cannot be shortened because of bad weather.
"All postseason games, All-Star games and that, will be full-length affairs, and the rule will be so written." Selig said Thursday following an owner's meeting.
game was suspended for 46 hours.
Selig said the change also will apply to tiebreaker games that decide division titles and wild-card berths.
"Any game that has significance for the postseason," he said. "It will be very clear now. Everybody will know exactly."
Selig said that if the Phillies still led 2-1 when play was stopped, the game would have gone into a rain delay until it could resume — even if that took several days.
During World Series Game 5 between Tampa Bay and Philadelphia last month, Selig decided that it wouldn't be cut short because of pouring rain. Just after the Rays tied it in the top of the sixth, umpires halted play and the
Under baseball's rules, games are official as soon as the trailing team has made 15 outs.
Management lawyers will discuss the contemplated change with the players' association.
"I expect that will be having discussions with the commissioner's office about that rule in the weeks to come," union general counsel Michael Weiner said. "I don't want to prejudice it one way or the other."
"We'll stay here if we have to celebrate Thanksgiving here," he said.
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