2B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2009
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"When they treat you bad, you just got to take care of your pride, no matter what."
— Satchel Paige
FACT OF THE DAY
At 5-0, Kansas is one of nine undefeated football teams remaining.
Kansas Athletics
TRIVIA OF THE DAY
Q: What are the other eight undefeated Football Bowl Subdivision teams?
Associated Press
A: Florida, Alabama, Texas,
Boise State, Cincinnati, Iowa,
TCU, South Florida.
Associated Proc
Tiger Woods leads U.S. to win Presidents Cup
PGA
SAN FRANCISCO — Tiger Woods provided a fitting conclusion Sunday to a perfect week at the Presidents Cup, for him and an American team that remains perfect at home.
With a flop shot out of the trees to set up one last birdie, Woods won the point that clinched the cup and made him only the third player in the Presidents Cup to win all five matches.
His 6-and-5 victory over Y.E. Yang was a tiny token of revenge for Woods blowing a final-round lead to him in the PGA Championship this summer. Even so, it was the first time in either the Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup that Woods earned the decisive point.
And he didn't even know it.
"Oh, perfect," Woods said, an apt choice of words. "All I knew was I was trying to get my point, and I was 5 up trying to make it 6."
Phil Mickelson wrapped up another anticlimacial finish with a 7-foot birdie putt for a 2-and-1 victory over Retief Goosen, leaving Leffy unbeaten (4-0-1) in the Presidents Cup for the second time in the last three contests.
Associated Press
World Cup qualification ignored
MORNING BREW
So the U.S. soccer team qualified for the World Cup this weekend, although without Twitter or the Web you wouldn't know it.
Saturday's clinching of the World Cup berth was only available on closed-circuit television in select establishments — I'm unsure whether any Lawrence bars had this.
It was, as Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl worded it, "a throw back to the 1980" and "a step backward" for the sport.
That said, it was an opportunity for Wahl, who was born in this writer's hometown of Mission, to cover the hell out of the game on the Web, meet Honduras' interim president and later get robbed at gunpoint in broad daylight.
In an effort to gauge the importance of Honduras' push for a World Cup berth, Wahl traversed between towns for a variety of takes from a variety of people — one included a clown that "said that he clowns at birthday parties, Christmas celebrations and even funerals."
One such trip took Wahl to the embassy district of Tegucigalpa, where deposed president Manuel Zelaya rested in the Brazilian embassy. After interviewing a few of the many heavily armed police officers near the embassy, Wahl walked back to his car, parked a few blocks away and not far from the U.S. embassy, and encountered a 20-something male who ran up from behind, pulled a gun and threatened to kill Wahl if he didn't turn over his belongings.
The robber made off with
Wahl's wallet and iPhone, but thankfully the writer made off with his safety.
"But I did survive, chastened and a bit embarrassed," Wahl wrote. "Interim president Micheletti apologized for the robbery and said that it no doubt was a Zelava supporter."
Check out Wahl's blog on SI.com as well as his coverage of what became a thrilling 3-2 U.S. victory.
MORE RECOMMENDED READING
Also be sure to check out one of the finest sports writers alive today, Wright Thompson, and his excellent piece that is currently (and criminally) buried on ESPN. com. I think you go to the site, then click on the MLB link and weed through the three slides of main stories you'll access his Outside The Lines essay titled "Seats of Gold."
Thompson purchases one of Yankee Stadium's $1,200 Legends Suite seats. You can feel the conflicted feelings Thompson encounter when his ticket — which ridiculously is not an actual ticket, but an 8-by-11 computer print-out — grants him complete access to complimentary port wine-glazed hanger steak with the
sauvignon glaze reduction and a crispy pork belly Brie potato bake, among other delicacies. Additionally, Thompson details perfectly his sitting and eating peanuts while sipping on Dom Champagne.
"Of course, therein lies the irony of a populist rant against a place that keeps people out," Thompson writes. "Do I approve of Augusta National's policies? No. Would I accept a membership? You bet your ass."
This is far from a Travel Channel-esque depiction of the posh locale. Far from it. Thompson goes to great pains to illustrate the absurdity of the seats and how the push for more, more, more has even squeezed for the last time the great-grandchild of what was once one of the nation's five richest men.
It's dense reading but it's also one of the finest sports stories written this year. Be sure to keep an eye out for this stat, a stat that Thompson is compelled to repeat: 75 percent of families can never afford to attend a live pro sporting event.
Lost in the depressing, muddled mess that was the Kansas City Chiefs' collapse and eventual overtime defeat Sunday was the continuation of a historical streak by offseason-acquisition Mike Vrabel.
VRABEL MONEY AGAIN
Early in the first quarter, Vrabel — a linebacker — hauled in a 1-yard pass for a touchdown on third and goal to make his career totals in the end zone 11-for-11
on passes thrown his way.
You may recall the 13-year veteran's postseason grabs with the New England Patriots, but what makes his 11th touchdown on Sunday all the more incredible is the inability of Dallas' defense to stop him. How the hell does this man get open when he's on the field? You know the intention. Why not take him out of the game?
This brings to mind a former Chiefs defensive player doing the same a few years ago. Anyone hoping to get their YouTube on — and, for that matter, any Chiefs fan hoping to continue his or her downtrodden mood — ought to seek Jared Allen's touchdown catch from 2007. And then watch any Vikings game these days and remind yourselves that the Allen trade was the worst Chiefs transaction in recent years ... perhaps of all time.
Edited by Amanda Thompson
Follow sports editor Stephen Montemayer at twitter.com/smontemayer.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Florida's No.1 ranking in jeopardy
BY RALPH D. RUSSO
Associated Press
Alabama's steady rise in the rankings has left the Crimson Tide with a clear view of No.1 Florida.
Alabama jumped Texas into second place behind top-ranked Florida in the AP Top 25 on Sunday, giving the Southeastern
Conference the Nos. 1 and 2 teams in the country.
The Crimson Tide moved up one spot after rolling over Mississippi 22-3. Texas, which had been No. 2 all season, slipped a spot after sputtering early in a 38-14 victory against Colorado.
The Gators and Tim Tebow beat LSU 13-3. They have been an overwhelming No. 1 since the preseason, but support for Alabama has steadily grown.
Florida received 50 of 60 first-place votes from the media panel, a season low. The Crimson Tide
It's the second time in the past two seasons that Alabama and Florida have held the top two spots in the rankings. Last year, the Crimson Tide was No. 1 and the Gators. No. 2 for two weeks before they played in the SEC title game.
received 10 first-place votes, up from five last week.
Texas, for the first time this season, did not receive a first-place vote. The Longhorns might be able to get some support back by beating No. 20 Oklahoma on Saturday in the Red River Rivalry.
State and No. 6 Southern California each moved up one spot.
No. 4 Virginia Tech, No. 5 Boise
In the battle for Ohio, Ohio State moved up to No. 7 and ahead of No. 8 Cincinnati after a 31-13 victory over previously unbeaten Wisconsin.
In the USA Today coaches' poll, Florida is No.1, Texas is No.2 and Alabama is No.3. In the Harris Poll, the top three is the same as the AP poll. The coaches' poll and Harris poll are used in the BCS standings, which will be released next week for the first time this season.
THIS WEEK IN KANSAS ATHLETICS
MONDAY
Women's Golf:
NMSU Prices
Give Five
Invitational, All
Day, Las Cruces,
N.M.
TUESDAY
Women's Golf:
NMSU Prices
Give Em Five
Invitational, All
Day, Las Cruces,
N.M.
Women's Golf:
NMSU Prices
Give Em Five
Invitational,
All Day, Las Cruces,
N.M.
THURSDAY
No Events Scheduled
Women's Swimming:
Big 12 Reserves, 9 a.m., Columbia, MO.
Volleyball:
vs. Texas,
6:30 p.m.
FRIDAY
Women's Soccer:
vs. Oklahoma, 7 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
SATURDAY
Cross Country:
NCAA Pre-
Nationals
Invitational, 11
a.m., Terre Taute,
Ind.
Volleyball:
at Kansas State,
1 p.m.
SUNDAY
Football:
at Colorado, 6
p.m.
Women's Soccer:
at Baylor, 1 p.m.
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