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'Late Night' special guests
The University Daily Kansan
Bill Self has invited the 1988 championship men's basketball team to 'Late Night in the Phog' next Friday. 'Late Night' will begin at 7 p.m. PAGE 2B
sports commentary
1B
Wednesday, October 8, 2003
Ryan Greene rgreene@hansan.com
Camaraderie unites fans in Lawrence
Approximately 572 miles lie between Jayhawk Boulevard and the front entrance to Wrigley Field.
entrance to Wrigley Field That distance has never felt shorter than it does right now.
As the Chicago Cubs ousted the Atlanta Braves in game five of the National League Divisional Series Sunday night, a slight buzz was felt around Lawrence.
While it resembled just an aftershock compared to the earthquake that ensued after the Jayhawks defeated Arizona to go to the Final Four in March, Lawrence now feels more like home for the large contingency of Cubs fans who attend the University of Kansas.
For myself and the many Cubs faithful who have adopted a second form of Crimson and Blue, heading to the National League Championship Series for the first time since 1989 is good and all, but it just won't suffice when the World Series is within an arms length.
With a potent lineup that can drive in runs at will and the game's most dominating pitching staff since the Braves in the early 1990s, there are no excuses and nobody is saying "Wait till next year."
It has been a refreshing boost for the past few days; striking up small talk with anyone donning their Cubs gear, sharing opinions on the series with Florida and planning ahead for the World Series with fingers crossed.
These are the people I want to be conversing with at a time like this, because they are the ones who truly share the pain of growing up cheering on the "Loveable Losers."
They are the ones who have sported their blue Cubs hats day-in and day-out despite the team's record. They are the ones who have a massive Cubs banner on display atop The Crossing.
The Cubs' first championship since 1908 can be accomplished with just eight simple wins.
Most people I have met who are not from Chicago or know the Cubs' long and sometimes painful history see them as losers and simply a tourist attraction to those visiting the Windy City.
Over the past month, the stars magically aligned to allow the Cubs to back their way into the postseason. Houston's collapse in the regular season's final week along with the series win over the Braves, baseball's perennial postseason fixture, seems too good to be true without cosmic intervention.
I feel as though I may be jixing things just by writing this column, but it's the kind of situation that comes around so rarely for a Cubs fan that it's just too good to not talk about.
Forget the curses in franchise history ranging from Billy Goats to Black Cats to Leon Durham, because it has got to end right here.
Of course, like all Cubs diehards that are in school here at Kansas, I wish that more than anything I could be in Wrigleyville with a cold brew in my hand, or at home with my dad yelling at the screen.
Wide receiver Brandon Rideau has noticed how more students are becoming excited about the KU football team. It is the first time since 1995 that Kansas has won four straight games.The 4-1 Jayhawks take on the 2-3 Colorado Buffaloes in Boulder, Colo., on Saturday.
Even though the dreams of enjoying the experience at home are not going to happen right now, there's no place I'd rather be than Lawrence, basking in the success with my diehard brethren.
■ Greene is a Vernon Hills, Ill., senior in journalism
Kansan file photo
Go Cubs Go.
'Hawks preparing for Buffs
By Ryan Greene
rgreene@kansan.com
kansan.sportswriter
In the 10 days that have passed since the Kansas football team's monumental upset against rival Missouri, storylines have piled up around the new darlings of the Big 12 Conference.
Whether it's Kansas' next opponent Colorado, getting embarrassed on the road against Baylor, the front-page story on ESPN.com hailing the Jayhawks as the possible surprise of the year, or even the Mangino sandwich at Quinton's, the team's focus has not been derailed. Instead of getting caught up in the whirlwind of news, coach Mark Mangino had his players try something different lead normal lives sans football.
"We go back on the practice field yesterday after letting our kids have the weekend off, and let them enjoy the weekend just like the rest of our student body." Mangino said yesterday.
The time off gave the coaches and players time to sit back and watch games on Saturday afternoon instead of playing for a change. The contest that drew the most interest was Baylor's 42-30 triumph over Colorado. As the Jayhawks prepare to travel to Boulder for their second road contest of the season, they realize that Colorado will bring added intensity. More importantly, the Buffs will have an extreme sense of urgency, as they are now 2-3 on the season and want to avoid their first 0-2 conference start since the 2000 season. Even though the Jayhawks will travel to Boulder with a record on the opposite end of the spectrum, they are stressing the game's importance just as much as Colorado.
"We don't make exceptions for any team we play," Mangino said. "We always practice with a sense of urgency."
The first step toward succeeding in their first conference road game of the season is realizing the mentality Colorado will enter the game with. One of the Jayhawks hoping to hammer the point home is sophomore linebacker Banks Floodman, who knows how difficult Colorado can be on the road. Floodman was a freshman when Kansas was handed a 27-16 defeat at Boulder in 2001, and knows how much tougher the Buffalooes will be coming off a loss.
"It's tough to win in Boulder, I don't
care what their record is." Floodman said. "They're probably going to be pissed off wanting to win more than ever, so we have to prepare hard for this team."
As attention from both the media and the public continues to grow, the players have welcomed everyone who wants to support their efforts, even if they are hopping on the bandwagon.
"A lot more people want to tell us that we're doing a good job," junior receiver Brandon Rideau said. "I hear a lot of students on campus saying 'yeah, our football team is doing good now.' A lot of people want to say our team now. We're glad to have anybody that's glad to be with us."
All the students on Jayhawk Boulevard and in the classrooms who were quick to criticize a year ago now want to slap high-fives and strike up small-talk
with the players. Add to that, more national reporters are trying to land interviews. Because of these things, Mangino has told his players to not only beware, but not look too much into it
"I trust our players and I trust their judgment," Mangino said. "We're getting some attention we haven't received in the past, but we also have to be wary. The same people who said we weren't very good are now patting us on the back. We also have to be concerned about praise. Praise, if it is not handled properly, can be just as dangerous as criticism."
Kansas football notes
After Kansas' second botched extra point of the season, Mangino promised that the kicking situation would be handled. He stressed the importance of getting a good snap, a good hold and a good
kick. Instead of trying new tactics, senior punter/holder Curtis Ansel and junior kicker Johnny Beck have gone through more repetitions with both starting snapper junior Tony Coker, as well as others who could fill in at the position. Those seeing action at long-snapper in practice include sophomore Kevin Kane and sophomore Iustin Henry.
"We threw in more reps this week and last," Ansel said. "You really can't do anything else."
After giving his players the weekend off, Mangino was able to catch up with things at home. "Friday night my wife and I ordered out, watched TV," Mangino said. "Saturday I was in the office briefly, and my wife and son and I went and had dinner at a restaurant in town. It was nice to be a family man."
— Edited by Michael Owells
Freshman to lead Kansas tonight
By Mike Norris
mnorris@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Kansan File Photo
Senior outside hitter Abbie Jacobson attempted a serve against Baylor. The Jayhawks are set to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers at 7:00 tonight at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center.
Sometimes a team plays well against a certain team, and other times a team just always plays well.
In the case of the Kansas-Nebraska volleyball matchup tonight, it's both.
The Cornhuskers (14-1, 6-0 Big 12 Conference), lead the all-time series 69-1 against the Jayhawks, with the 'Hawks lone victory coming in 1977.
"We have a lot of control over what we are doing on our side of the net, and that's what we've got to focus on," Kansas coach Ray Bechard said.
But the Jayhawks (11-5, 3-2 Big 12), are not the only team Nebraska plays well against. Nebraska finished 20-0 in the conference last year, and is already 6-0 this year
Not only have the Jayhawks not won a match against the 'Huskers since 1977, they haven't even won a game against them since 1998. But that doesn't mean they are going into the match intimidated.
"They're an outstanding team," Bechard said. "But from a physical standpoint, we've been here before."
"Nobody on our team is ever afraid," senior outside hitter Abbie Jacobson said. "We know about Nebraska, we know how solid they are, but we feel pretty solid about ourselves."
Freshman Jana Correa, outside hitter,
enters the match as the latest Big 12
Player of the Week.
She averaged 4.22 kills and 2.67 digs,
leading the team to a 1-1 record last week.
"It's not my achievement, it's a team achievement," Correa said. "If I don't have a setter, I can't hit the ball. But I feel happy."
The award is the first for a Kansas
"Nobody on our team is ever afraid. We know about Nebraska, we know how solid they are, but we feel pretty solid about ourselves."
Abbie Jacobson outside hitter
Since Correa has only been in the United States since January, she said she doesn't always know or care how good the team they are playing is.
player since Josi Lima, sophomore middle blocker, won it in Nov. 2002.
But freshman Megan Hill has reason to pay close attention to who they are playing tonight.
The outside hitter grew up in Lincoln, Neb., and while she said she went to some of Nebraska's matches, she wasn't really a Cornhusker fan.
"It's going to be a really exciting game for me, I know a lot of the girls on the other side of the court," Hill said. "So, it'll be a really competitive game."
The Jayhawks aren't short of reasons to want to win the match, but Lima said being at home is one of the biggest.
"Just the fact that we are playing here gives us more confidence," she said.
Kansas will try to hand Nebraska its first Big 12 loss of the season at 7 p.m. tonight in the Horeisi Family Athletics Center.
This weekend it will continue Big 12 play in Norman, Okla., against the Oklahoma Sooners.
- Edited by Neeley Spellmeier
Kansas volleyball player Correa player of the week
Freshman Jana Correa was named the Big 12 Conference volleyball player of the week on Monday.
The outside hitter contributed 38 kills and 24 digs in two matches last week, leading the Jayhawks (11-5 overall; 3-2 Big 12), to a 1-1 record.
During the week of her award, she averaged 4.22 kills, and had a hitting percentage of .305.
Kansas coach Ray Bechard said Correa was 'pleasantly surprised' after hearing the news of earning the award.
In her first year, Correia leads the team with 3.9 kills per game and has a .262 hitting percentage.
The last Jayhawk to be named player of the week was sophomore middle blocker Josi Lima on Nov. 18,2002.
"She played very well in both matches and she was very deserving of the award," Bechard said.
Correa and the Jayhawks look to continue their success tonight against the #7 Nebraska Cornhuskers at 7 p.m., in the Horejsi Family Athletics Center.
The Jayhawks trail the all-time series against the Cornhuskers (14-1, 6-0 Big 12), 69-1. The last time Kansas defeated Nebraska was 1977.
-Mike Norris
TALK TO SPORTS: Contact JJ Hensley and Shane Mettlen at SPORTS@KANSAN.COM