2B
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY TRAIL KANSAN
quote of the day
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2008
"I if ever get bored with golf, I'm going to start over and play left-handed."
Professional golfer Michelle Wie
fact of the day
Women's wrestling became a sport in the 2004 Olympics.
www.factmonster.com
Reflection of Chalmers, national championship
trivia of the day
Q: What sport is the most common cause of eye injuries in the U.S.?
A: Baseball
www.usefultrivia.comw
So here's my Mario Chalmers story. You may have heard that Chalmers reportedly got busted at the NBA's annual transition program — basically rookie orientation — for smoking marijuana — reefers, as they say in that one Sublime song. So 1 figure today is as good as any for telling the Morning Brew's Mario Chalmers story.
It was a few days after the national championship. Just a hundred hours or so after Mario Chalmers had become immortal. I was lucky enough to be sitting just a few feet away from the Alamodome court. And I hate the saying, "time stood still," because obviously time can never stand still, and people who use such trite phrases are just poor writers who can't think of anything else to say. But I'm telling you, that for those seven seconds, those
few ticks when Sherron Collins brought the ball up the court, it did.
Collins moved up the court, slow at first, then faster. He moved right, torqued his body sideways and started to fall. Then time started again. Chalmers ended up with the ball, moved to his left and floated a shot, a miracle parabola heading skyward. And time stopped again. And that was it. I was 21, only a college junior, and I had seen the greatest shot in Kansas history from 35 feet away.
But that's not the story. A few days later, Lawrence was trying to shift back into some form of normalcy. The Kansan was offering free editions of the Championship Kansan to anyone who wasn't able to pick up a copy the day after the game. A lanky kid walked up to The Kansan business office counter to pick up a Kansan. He had on sweats, his hat was slightly askew. He mumbled something to the person behind the counter.
"Umm, I don't have my ID, but can I get a paper?" Then the kid grabbed a paper and left. Mario Chalmers needed a Kansan, too.
FANTASY FOOTBALL RAMBLINGS
So what's worse? Hearing people talk about their fantasy football team or actually spending two hours doing a live fantasy football
draft? I did the latter the other day.
And I've got to be honest, when I was done, I sat back and thought,
'I just spent two hours pondering if Donald Driver or Bernard Berrian would be a better fourth wide receiver.'
I've got to admit, there's something romantic about 12 dudes sitting in a room, talking football, analyzing the Eagles' defense. But it's also a little weird. And when you're done, you feel a little empty inside.
But here's what I wonder about fantasy football. How much bigger can it get? I think about the World Series of Poker, beanie babies, pogs, grunge music, all these fads from my childhood. Eventually they all faded from the top of the pop culture mountain. Don't get me wrong, fantasy football's obviously not a fad. But eventually fantasy football has to reach a tipping point. Eventually people will get tired of randomly drafting football players and keeping up with their stats, right? Right? Maybe I'm dead wrong. Maybe I just want those damn two hours back.
Indoor entertainment
Rudi Johnson signs with Detroit Lions
Ryan Waggoner/KANSAN
Students play a game of pick-up basketball Wednesday afternoon at the Student Recreation Fitness Center. Indoor recreational activities were a popular choice on Wednesday because of the indlement weather in the Lawrence area.
30 Pack -a- Rama·30 Pack -a- Rama·30 Pack -a- Rama
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Rudi Johnson, who was waived by the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday, signed with the Detroit Lions. Johnson will join rookie Kevin Smith as the feature backs in Detroit's new run-oriented offense.
30 Pack -a- Rama·30 Pack -a- Rama·30 Pack -a- Rama
Jaguars offensive tackle shot outside nightclub
Collier, 26, and former Jaguars defense end Kennett Pettway were waiting in a Cadillac Escalade when a gunman fired into the vehicle, said Jacksonville Sheriff's Office spokesman Ken Jefferson. Collier was shot several times, but it wasn't clear where he was hit.
NFL
Collier was in critical condition at Shands Jacksonville Medical Center, a nursing supervisor said.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Richard Collier was shot and critically wounded outside an apartment building early Tuesday as he and a former teammate waited for two women they had met at a nightclub, police said.
Associated Press
KICK THE KANSAN
Pick games. Beat the Kansan staff. Get your name in the paper.
This week's games:
1. Stanford at No. 15 Arizona State (predict score for tiebreaker)
2. No. 8 West Virginia at East Carolina
4. No. 12 Texas Tech at Nevada
3. Mississippi at No. 20 Wake Forest
6. No.17 South Florida at Central Florida
5. Air Force at Wyoming
7. Kent State at Iowa State
8. No. 15 BYU at Washington
9. Minnesota at Bowling Green
Name:
10. Akron at Syracuse
E-mail:
Year in school:
Hometown:
Rules:
1) Only KU students are eligible.
2) Give your name, e-mail, year in school and hometown.
3) Beat the best prognosticator at the Kansan and get your name in the paper.
4) Beat all your peers and get your picture and picks in the paper next to the Kansas staff.
5) To break ties, pick the score of the designated game.
Either submit your picks 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.
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*TOWARD TO ATTEMPTS * GIFT CARRIER | WE INVOKEN CARES | LOCATIONS
Back-to-School Extravaganza Sale
Stop in to Dunn Bros Coffee to get the school year started with our Extravaganza Bune Sale
Friday, August 29 thru Sunday, September 7
Used with $205.97 / 3,000 at Ward Coffee Store
Lafayette, N.J. X104W w/ DL128W @ 109.95 / 621.411
$4 off every 1lb. Fresh Roasted Beans (NO LIMIT)
LOCAL FLAVOR
DUNN BROS COFFEE
1618 W. 23rd St. www.dunbros.com
NFL
Upshaw honored at all 16 opening games
NEW YORK — The NFL will honor the late Gene Upshaw with his initials and his uniform number stenciled on the field for all 16 games this opening weekend.
The league announced that all NFL players would wear a patch all season with the initials "GU" and the number 63, his former uniform number to honor the Hall of Fame guard and longtime union leader, who died two weeks ago.
Denver defensive back traded to Falcons
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Denver Broncos traded defensive back Domonique Foxworth to the Atlanta Falcons for a conditional seventh-round draft choice in 2009.
The Falcons did the draft pick could be higher, based upon Foxworth's playing time.
Foxworth, a fourth-year pro,
became expendable when the
Broncos claimed cornerback
Calvin Lowry off waivers from the
Tennessee Titans this week.
Associated Press