2B
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 11, 2008
quote of the day
"It isn't necessary to have relatives in Kansas City in order to be unhappy."
— Groucho Marx
fact of the dav
Kansas City last hosted the Major League All-Star Game on July 24,1973.
MLB.com
trivia of the day
Q: What team did the Kansas City Chiefs beat in their last playoff victory in 1993?
A: The Houston Oilers, led by quarterback Warren Moon.
A tough time for sports fans in Kansas City
Kansas City really is a wonderful little city. There's something beautiful about little midwestern towns with world-class barbecue and fountains and those massive shuttlecocks out side of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Maybe you have to be from Kansas City to understand. Maybe outsiders don't understand why we think the Plaza is so elegant, or why we love it when the trains bring the food at Fritz's. Maybe they don't understand Royals' buck nights, or Stroud's fried chicken, or the pride we felt when Neil Smith or Derrick Thomas sacked John Elway.
But who cares. Because we do.
And if you understand all that, then you'll know why the next two months are going to so tough for us Kansas Citians. The Royals are in
the midst of their 13th losing season in the last 14 years. The Chiefs haven't won a playoff game since 1993, and our new state-of-the-art Sprint Center sits empty, save for a college basketball game and a Springsteen concert here and there.
So what do we do? Nothing. We pretend it doesn't hurt when we see all these out-of-state students wearing their Cardinals, Cubs and White Sox jerseys around campus. We pretend it doesn't hurt when
the bandwagon fans from Chicago talk about the Cubs playing the White Sox in the World Series. We pretend it doesn't hurt when the kids from St. Louis brag about the Cardinals 2006 World Series title. We pretend it doesn't hurt when they sneer at our Royals, laugh at our Chiefs and think Kansas City is no better than Omaha.
They don't get it. They probably never will.
As for me, I'm going to go walk around the Plaza, order a skyscraper from Winstead and pray to Buck O'Neil. Pray that the Cardinals lose every game. Pray that the Cubs fold. Pray that the White Sox choke. And if that doesn't work, I'm heading straight to the Grand Falloon.
THURSDAY YOUTUBE
SESH
So you're really from Kansas City? Ever heard of the Heet Mob? They're KC finest MC's, and they created the greatest rap anthem in Kansas City history. Just type "Heet Mob" and "KC" into YouTube. Enjoy.
DARNELL'S DAY
Darnell Jackson did it again.
Just when the vibes around the Kansas basketball program were reaching a record-low, Jackson reminded Kansas fans why Kansas basketball is so special. Jackson, who graduated last spring, signed a multi-year professional contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers last week. Jackson overcame a lot during his four years in Lawrence. Family tragedy, injuries, an NCAA
suspension. It seemed like the bad news would never stop. But Jackson was always the consumate Jayhawk. He worked hard, he graduated and he was a gentleman. Congrats Darnell. Kansas' young team could learn a lot from you.
A break from class
Rvan Waqqoner/KANSAN
Michael Giarla, Overland Park junior, administers a body composition test to Jessica Blythe, Overland Park freshman, in front of Strong Hall on Wednesday afternoon as part of Student Health Services Wellness Fair. Giarla was volunteering at the event, and is also a member of KU Pre-Physical Therapy Club.
KICK THE KANSAN
Pick games. Beat the Kansan staff. Get your name in the paper.
This week's games:
1. No. 13 Kansas at No. 19 South Florida (Predict Score)
2. No. 5 Ohio State at No. 1 USC
4. UCLA at No.18 BYU
3. No. 10 Wisconsin at No. 21 Fresno State
5. No. 16 Oregon at Purdue
6. Bowling Green at Boise State
7. Iowa State at Iowa
8. Stanford at Ico
9. Rice at Vanderbilt
10. Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech
Name:
E-mail:
Year in school:
Hometown:
Rules:
1) Only KU students are eligible.
2) Give your name, m-mail year in school and hometown
1) Only KU students are eligible.
2) Give your name, e-mail, year in school and hometown.
3) Beat the best prognosticator at the Kansas and get your name in the
4) Beat all your peers and get your picture and picks in the paper next to paper
1) To break ties, pick the score of the designated game.
Either submit your picks to KickTheKansanikkan.com or to the Kansan business office, located at the West side of Waste-First Fountain, which is between Wescow Hall and Wakefield Hall.
Kansas Union Wednesday, Sept.17 noon-5 pm
KU SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
The University of Kansas
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