NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 29 2009
9A
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"You can observe a lot just by watching."
Yogi Berra
Source: Kansas Athletics
Freshman running back Toben Opurumu's 109 rushing yards Saturday was the first 100-yard rushing game by a freshman since 2002.
FACT OF THE DAY
Q: Who led the Jayhawks in rushing in 2002, coach Mark Mangino's first season with the team?
TRIVIA OF THE DAY
A: Clark Green, who, as a freshman, rushed for 813 yards.
MLB
Cy Young Award buzz
still surrounds Greinke
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As much as Zack Greinke wants it to, all this Cy Young talk isn't going to go away.
Entering the final week of the season, Kansas City's reticent ace has put himself in position to become the Royals' first Cy Young Award winner since David Cone in 1994. Greinke dropped his majors- best ERA to 2.06 while winning his 16th game Sunday against the Twins, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the third inning of the 4-1 victory.
The right-hander leads the majors with three shutouts, is second in the AL with 229 strikeouts and has allowed one run or less in 17 of 32 starts. And he's done it with some of the worst run support in the league.
But as the Cy Young buzz builds, Greinke has shied away from the attention, calling it "annoying."
NFL
Jaguars replace former defensive line starters
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars have signed defensive end Bryan Smith off St. Louis' practice squad and waived cornerback Kenned Cox and defensive end Jeremy Navarre.
Cox, signed in December, played in five games for Jacksonville, including two this season. Navarre started the season on the practice squad and was activated to the 53-man roster two weeks ago.
Smith, a third-round draft pick by Philadelphia in 2008, was inactive for every game last season. He signed with the Rams after the Eagles waived him following the preseason.
The Jaguars have been looking for help along the defensive line after losing former starters Rob Meier and Reggie Hayward for the season.
McDaniels, team ignore criticism, stay positive
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — If you're listening for Josh McDaniels to say, "I told you so," keep waiting.
The Denver Broncos and their new coach answered their critics with a 3-0 start, but they're not crowing about it.
McDaniels is disregarding all the accolades coming his team's way.
It's the same approach he took in the offseason when he brushed off criticism that he was an arrogant, baby-faced know-it-all who didn't know what he was doing by chasing off Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler.
Associated Press
Facebook statuses translated
MORNING BREW
Kansas sports has spent an inordinate amount of time in the headlines this past week. I don't think I need to tell you why. But despite the rampant coverage, people still have questions.
"How could this have been pre-empted?" they ask. "Surely there must have been signs we missed."
Indeed, there were signs. Most notably, Tyshawn Taylor's Facebook statuses ought to have served as red flags. Unfortunately, not many are fluent in "G" around these parts.
But, as a noted connoisseur of the thug life, "G" is a language with which I am quite familiar. So, I've devoted this past week to translating Taylor's statuses, so the picture might become more clear to everyone else.
Taylor: keep my name out ya' mouth for you get smacked in it
Translation: In my actions, I am a consistent gentleman. Thus you can be assured that I always act with integrity.
Translation: Do not speak ill of me, sir. Should you fail to comply, I will be forced to respond with violence.
Taylor: n*****s be muggin me ..
you know I'm muggin back
Taylor: never get outta character .. I'm always a G about it
Translation: It has often been said that violence does no more than breed further violence. I must confess that I find truth in that. For, having been assailed, I
After these posts, Taylor proceeded to injure himself in a fight. Following his release from Lawrence Memorial Hospital, Taylor explained matters.
responded in kind.
Translation: Whoseever calls himself a man must occasionally take action to prove said point. This is a simple matter, and not to be questioned.
Taylor: real n*****s do real things .. point plankn
Taylor: I got a dislocated finger ... from throwing a punch ... so don't let the news paper gas yall up ate
Translation: A recent Gallup Poll found that only 36 percent of adults find media outlets to be trustworthy. Cynical though that may sound, I too believe that media ought not be trusted implicitly. And so, lest any newspapers attempt to portray things
otherwise, I should like to clearly state the circumstances under which I dislocated my finger. That is, by striking another man with my fist.
Having now shed light on these previously dark areas, it is my sincere hope that Kansas Athletics can move forward and — through both the passage of time and the taking of proper actions — reclaim its "G" status.
—Edited by Megan Morriss
NFL
Chiefs have yet to bring in a win this season
JOHN MARSHALL
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The defense is still a clunker, the next breakdown just around the corner. The offensive line, in disarray. Wins? Nope, not yet.
Associated Press
Philadelphia Eagles defensive ends, clockwise from lower left, Trent Cole, Darren Howard and Chris Clemons跑 Kansas City quarterback Matt Cassel in the second quarter of a game in Philadelphia. The Chiefs are working to round up the team's record.
For a team that underwent an offseason overhaul, the Kansas City Chiefs sure look a whole lot like year's run-down version.
And it doesn't get any easier: Up next are the 3-0 New York Giants, with Dallas after that.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
"It's pretty clear that our margin for error isn't real great at this time," Chiefs coach Todd Haley said Monday. "We must, as a team and coaching staff, really do everything right, all the little things included."
This turnaround was never going to be easy. A team that won two games one year doesn't win the Super Bowl the next. Haley and new general manager Scott Pioli have done their best to shake things up, bringing in new players, new schemes and a no-nonsense attitude.
So far, it hasn't amounted to a win.
Three games into the season, the Chiefs are still generating more questions than answers. The defense has been porous and sporadic. The offense is ineffective and, at times, ultraconservative. Penalties, a point of emphasis for Haley in the preseason, have become a problem.
Kansas City also had 10 penalties for 90 yards, including a holding call that wiped
Nothing, it seems, is going right for the Chiefs.
"We're not in a sense of panic right now," receiver Mark Bradley said. "We have a sense of urgency to try to get things turned around and put some W's in the column."
The Chiefs' offense seemed to be stuck in neutral, generating one scoring drive in the first half and plenty of 2-yard runs in the second.
A week ago against Oakland, Kansas City at least had a chance. The Chiefs outgained the Raiders 409-166, but lost 13-10 in the closing seconds.
Those seem to be getting hard to come by.
Playing without quarterback Donovan McNabb and running back Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia had no trouble rolling over the Chiefs, scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter and finishing with 420 total yards. The Eagles didn't even need Michael Vick to beat Kansas City; he had one run for seven yards and two incompletions in his first game in nearly three years.
They didn't put up much of a fight against the Eagles.
out a touchdown run by Jamaal Charles. That's 19 games in two games for a team that spent the entire preseason listening to the coaches harp on not having penalties.
"We cannot have 9-10 penalties in a game. We just can't do it," Haley said. "We have to coach them and make them more aware than we have to this point."
Offense is another pressing issue.
The line still seems to be in chaos after multiple rejiggerings and the quarterbacks have paid for it, spending most of the first three games running for their lives. Brodie Croyle was sacked
To a certain extent, Haley knows what he's got, at least from a talent standpoint. He knows his team's limitations, understands his personnel may not match up with Baltimore or Philadelphia, teams that reached the conference championship games last season.
The running game has been affected, too. Kansas City had three yards rushing in the first half against the Eagles, frustrating Haley to the point that he went almost exclusively to the ground in the second — even with his team trailing by 17.
— to benefit this team going forward, to establish our mindset and kind of lay it out there, see who's got what.
So while Haley and Pioli continue to search for new players they might be able to add, they realize the truth about their team that it has play nearly perfect to have a chance to win.
three times in the opener, Matt Cassel five times in two games since returning from a knee injury. Nearly every pass comes off the back foot or with a hand in their face.
"In no way was it a wave the white flag (situation)," Haley said. "In my gut, as the head coach, I felt like something had to be done — not in that particular game
THIS WEEK IN KANSAS ATHLETICS
TODAY
Women's Golf
Marilyn Smith
Sunflower
Invitational, all day in Manhattan
Men's Golf Kansas Invitational, all day
SDAT
Women's
Volleyball
vs. Colorado, 6:30
p.m.
WEDNESDAY
FRIDAY Women's Soccer at Texas A&M, 7 p.m.
THURSDAY No events scheduled.
SATURDAY
Cross Country
OSU Cowboy
Jamboree,
*9 a.m., Stillwater,
Okla.
Women's Volleyball at Texas A&M, 2 p.m.
Softball vs. Emporia State, 2 p.m.
Softball
vs. Central
Missouri St., 4
p.m.
Women's Rowing Boot of the Oklahoma, all day. Oklahoma City, Okla.
Women's Soccer at Texas, 1 p.m.
SUNDAY
Softball
vs. Washburn,
noon
CHICAGO — Chicago Mayor Richard Daley said he was honored that both President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will head to Copenhagen in support of Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Daley says the Obamas "symbolize the hope, opportunity and inspiration that makes Chicago great." The mayor said there was nobody better to tell members of the International Olympic Committee about Chicago's commitment and enthusiasm for the games.
White House adviser Valerie Jarrett told The Associated Press on Monday that the president will leave Thursday for Europe. Obama would be the first U.S.president to take on such a direct role in lobbying for the games.
Obama goes to Denmark to make U.S. Olympic bid
Softball vs. Emporia State, 2 p.m.
Chicago is competing with Rio de Janeiro, Madrid and Tokyo. The IOC will pick the host city on Friday.
OLYMPICS
Associated Press