4B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2008
COMMENTARY (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
without the revenue and publicity football brings in. The commercials played for the University during televised games attract students from different cultures and geographical regions. There is no denying that sports play a factor when some students make a college choice. Recent achievements such as an Orange Bowl victory and a National Championship in basketball undoubtedly had an effect on this year's enrollment jump.
Without football, Kansas probably wouldn't be a member of the Big 12. It would have more than likely stayed in the Missouri Valley Conference when the Big 8 formed, and would have become a 20,000-plus school that focused strictly on basketball, such as Southern Illinois University.
As a mid-major it would have been tough for even a school such as Kansas to achieve the kind of success it has in basketball. Gonzaga University is one of only a few mid-major schools to become a consistent threat and even it has not reached the Final Four. Others, such as George Mason University, make the Final Four for a year, but have no
consistency, Since 1966, the only school to win a NCAA basketball championship from a non-major conference was the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in 1990.
Now, there is nothing wrong with being a FCS school or having no football team at all.
Kansas might have become a FBS Conference (D1-AA) football school. Kansas' fans would have gotten to watch a structured play-off system, similar to the NFL, instead of the chaos that is the BCS, so there would have been one bright spot if that had occurred.
However, in my opinion, Saturdays wouldn't be as fun without Todd Reesing's 7-second scrambles, Dezmon Briscoe's spectacular catches, Daymond Patterson's big returns, Mike Rivera's hard hits, Darrell Stuckey's game-breaking plays and the fans waving the wheat. That's why I am grateful to those students, faculty and alumni who fought to keep football alive at the University nearly a century ago.
Edited by Jennifer Torline
FOOTBALL (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
toward the future. Building experience this season should mean a better foundation in the coming years.
Iowa State came out of its self-reflection period with a better idea of what led to a record of 2-2 — it's the only North team with two losses — but little idea how best to fix it.
Sophomore Alexander Robinson led the Cyclones in rushing last year with a furious finish to the season. Thus far he and the rest of the Cyclone tailbacks have failed to create anything positive on the ground.
"We haven't been pleased with our running game now, from our tailback position, for a couple of weeks," Chizik said.
Robbinson missed the first game because of an injury, and since then has rushed for zero touchdowns and 147 yards, which is second on the team behind back-up quarterback Phillip Bates' 166 yards.
Sophomore Austen Arnaud has tried to counter the failing rushing game with a balanced attack from the quarterback position. Arnaud
Iowa State's defense, like its offense and special teams, has suffered some youthful setbacks. Still, the Cyclones lead the conference with 13 forced turnovers.
has completed 65 percent of his passes for 643 yards, rushed for 90 yards and scored eight total touchdowns.
The Cyclones are also tied for third in the conference in offensive turnovers. Chizik said that's one of the most important areas to address this season if the team is going to make any strides.
As for this weekend's game against Kansas, Chizik said all the bye weeks in the world might not help his squad. He described Todd Reesing as an escape artist and praised Kerry Meier and Dezmon Briscoe as two of the best wide receivers in the country.
"There are no weaknesses in their football team," Chizik said. "We're going to have to play a perfect game to be in the game with them. That's the bottom line."
Edited by Jennifer Torline
FOOTBALL
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri coaches and players learned an important lesson this weekend watching several top-ranked teams while the Tigers spent a bye week preparing for the Big 12 season.
FOOTBALL Missouri prepares for Big 12 season game
With Saturday's game at Nebraska approaching, Missouri coach Gary Pinkel's message of "over-preparing" rang true for his 4-team.
"Players have to listen because it's all about respect and all about preparation and it's that simple," Pinkel said.
Associated Press
NFL
Kansas City C chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez (88) celebrates with Kansas City Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard (49) after Gonzalez scored a touchdown during the fourth quarter of a game on Sunday in Kansas as city. Mo. Kansas City won the game 33-19.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Gonzalez three yards away from receiving record
ASSOCIATED PRESS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A disappointed Tony Gonzalez wants to know why Kansas City coaches refused to throw a short pass his way in the final minutes Sunday, leaving him three yards short of the career tight end receiving record.
Gonzalez did have a 10-yard touchdown catch in a 33-19 victory over Denver that snapped the Chiefs' 12-game losing streak. But he wanted to set the receiving record in front of family and fans at Arrowhead Stadium.
"After it was a two-possession game, we never got the ball back," Edwards said.
"I had my family out there. I wanted to do it in front of the fans, in a home game," said Gonzalez, the most productive tight end in NFL history. "It would have been a great way to do it. I'm disappointed by that, for whatever reason my number wasn't called at times."
Gonzalez, a nine-time Pro Bowler, uncharacteristically
Coach Herm Edwards said the Chieffs did not want to take a chance by throwing the ball with only a short time left in what turned into a 33-19 win.
declined to speak with reporters immediately after the game for fear of saying something that might be misconstrued. But on Monday,after a private meeting with Edwards,he remained miffed.
He was thrown only a few passes the entire day as the Chiefs stuck mostly to a ground game that included Larry Johnson's running for 198 yards and two touchdowns.
Gonzalez finished with 47 yards on three catches, including the one that stretched his NFL touchdown record for tight ends to 68. His last catch went for 23 yards in a drive that ended in a field goal and a 26-16 lead with 3:49 left.
The Broncos drove down for a field goal with 2:06 left and an onside kick. The Chiefs got possession and Johnson carried four straight times for the clinching touchdown.
Now Gonzalez will probably get the record this week at Carolina, far from the fans who chanted "Ton-y, Ton-y" when he lay on the ground, the wind knocked out of him, after making the TD catch.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
"It was really endearing, the way the fans were supporting me like that," he said. "My wife almost started crying. It was a goose-bump situation."
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez pulls in a pass for a touchdown while being defended by Denver Broncos linebacker Boss Bailey in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Kansas City, MO. on Monday.
. Is it Time to Rethink the Drinking Age?
. Do you really think State Senate doesn't matter?
Scott supports the Amethyst Initiative, an effort of collec
www.ScottMorganForSenate.com\KUStudents:htm
presidents to open a thorough discussion on whether the 21 drinking age is appropriate.
Drunk driving is unacceptable but has the drinking age helped or hurt? Scott thinks it's OK to ask.
"I've been trying to think about it all last night and this morning. There are a couple of different answers for that, stuff I agree with and stuff I don't agree with."
Gonzalez insisted there was "no controversy, no bad blood" after
"I asked anybody who would listen to me at that point," he said.
When he was told he was only 3 yards away from Shannon Sharpe's record of 10,060 yards receiving, he asked coaches on the sideline if he could get the ball.
He said he had "no idea" why he wasn't thrown the ball.
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"I have ultimate respect for Herm, and I think he has that for me, too," said Gonzalez. "Wetalked about it face-to-face, man-to-man. It is what it is and hopefully it will make us a better football team. I'm still a little upset about it.
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If Gonzalez had gotten the record, the Chiefs planned to halt the game and make note of the milestone.
"It not about the record. The record's going to come, no matter what," Gonzalez said. "It's just that I wanted to do it in front of the fans. I wanted to do it at home. I wanted to do it against the Broncos, our rivals. I felt like we had won the game anyway and I thought I could just go out and get a little catch. It just didn't work out that way."
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Edwards agreed there were no hard feelings
"Tony's fine. We wish we could have got him the record, too," Edwards said. "But the game, the way it unfolded at the end, we really couldn't afford to throw a pass. A minute, 47 seconds left in the football game, it's a one-possession game. You can't throw a pass when you only lead by one score.
"What if something bad happens when you decide to throw that pass?"
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