THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 23, 2009
SPORTS
5B
INTRAMURALS
Teams MIA frustrate players on game day
BY PAT ELAND peland@kansan.com
Forfeit is typically associated with a lot of things—defeat, give up, lose, surrender.
But when "forfeit" is used in reference to an intramural game, just one word comes to mind: laziness.
Even though most students involved in intramural sports participate, some seldom show up for what the sign up for.
Matt Beck, intramurals coordinator, said flag football, which consists of about 140 teams and a three-week season, had 41 forfeits this year.
Only ten of those teams have
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paid their forfeit fees. He said sand volleyball has had 26 forfeits in its two-week season, and only four teams that have paid their forfeit fees.
"We don't want your team signing up for all these leagues if you're not having any intent to be there," Beck said. "Don't take a spot in the league away from somebody else that wants to play."
"It really makes me upset when
I take the time to drive all the way over there, and then I don't get to play, because the other guys were too lazy to show up," Aaron Flickinger, McPherson junior, said.
Almost every intramural sport at the University requires an entry fee from each team, usually between $10 and $20.
The fee is used to pay referees and show that each team is committed to playing, Beck said.
After paying the entry fee, each team signs up for a day of the week and a time slot on that day as to when it will be playing all of its games.
Flickinger said teams sign up for day and time slots that it knows it
will be able to make it to each week, but teams wait until the last minute.
These teams end up with time slots that they agree to just because they want to be a part of the league, but then don't end up showing up for any of their games.
"I understand what teams go through when they have to have a forfeit," Weston Pletcher, Rosalia junior, said. "It's pretty aggravating, because you take time out of your day to show up and play and then they don't show up."
When a team forfeits its game, they must pay a $10 fee within three days of being contacted by intramural services, or the team is
dropped from the league.
Each team is only allowed two forfeits before being removed from the league.
Teams that do not pay the fee will not be able to register for any other sports until it is paid.
Beck said forfeits from rescheduled games, which are randomly assigned and without either team's input, are usually dealt with more leniency.
It often won't count toward a team's forfeit tally, or the team won't be charged the fee.
— Edited by Jacob Muselmann
MLB
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Colorado Rockies' Aaron Cook pitches during the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies. Cook will return to the mound for the first time in a month for the Colorado Rockies on Friday night against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Rockies ace ready to return to field
Associated Press
BY ARNIE STAPLETON
DENVER — Aaron Cook finally feels like he's part of a pension race.
Colorado's ace right-hander learned Tuesday that he would return to the mound Friday night against St. Louis, his first start since going on the disabled list with a strained right elbow on Aug. 22.
The Rockies entered their game Tuesday night against San Diego with a four-game lead over San Francisco in the NL wild-card race.
Cook was an onlooker the last time the Rockies reached the playoffs, missing out on their incredible 21-1 run-up to the World Series in 2007 because of a strained side muscle that sidelined him for 11 weeks.
"Yeah, '07 was a totally different story. When I got hurt, I knew I was going to be gone for at least 60 days and we weren't even really in it when I got hurt," Cook said. "So, to be in a pennant run, to get hurt when I got hurt, this year stunk. I wasn't really concerned about starting. I just wanted to come back and help and be part of the team."
He returned for Game 4 of the World Series, allowing three runs
over six stellar innings but couldn't prevent Boston from sweeping the Rockies for the title.
"I don't care," Cook said. "I just want to go out there and do what I can. I mean, if I can get five innings, four innings, seven innings, whenever they feel it's time to hand the ball to somebody else."
Manager Jim Tracy said Cook, who has been on the disabled list since Aug. 22 with a strained right elbow, would be limited to 70 pitches.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher John Smoltz delivers in the Cardinals' game against the Chicago Cubs in St. Louis. Heading into his sixth start, Smoltz is just happy to be pitching, period. He was released by the Boston Red Sox earlier this season.
MLB
Lohse, a 15-game winner last year, worked six solid innings on Monday at Houston for only his sixth victory of the season and first on the road.
"We're always evaluating and we'll see where it goes," manager Tony La Russa said.
Waiting is OK with Smoltz, who's appreciative of the chance the Cardinals gave him.
The Cardinals are keeping their options open, waiting to see if Kyle Lohse can shake off struggles from a forearm injury that's affected his delivery for several months.
His success in the rotation could point to a starting role for a team closing in on an NL Central title.
ST. LOUIS — John Smoltz is happy to be pitching, period. Whatever the St. Louis Cardinals want the 42-year-old right-hander to do in the postseason is fine with him.
But he can just as easily end up as a setup man for closer Ryan Franklin.
He said that he was the guy "sitting home and playing golf" after flaming out with the Red Sox earlier in the season.
Smoltz is 1-1 with a 3.21 ERA in a late-season rebirth heading into his sixth start on Wednesday in Houston.
Smoltz relishes role with new team
He's coming off a strong outing against the Cubs in which he gave up two first-inning runs and none the last five after missing a turn due to shoulder inflammation.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Smoltz promises patience, as long as he gets the ball, and knows the Cardinals understand what he
can do.
"I don't feel like I'm on any audition," Smoltz said. "What they got me here to do is to pitch and pitch in big games. Whatever
irrelevant at this point."
The Cardinals took a chance on Smoltz in mid-August, after he cleared waivers following an
"I don't feel like I'm on any audition."
JOHN SMOLTZ Cardinals pitcher
abysmal stint in Boston, where he went 2-5 with an 8.33 ERA in eight starts.
from 2002-04 with the Braves.
"His attitude echoes ours and that is he's got experience doing both, and he's willing to do whatever gives us our best chance
He holds the record for post-season wins, going 15-4 with four saves and a 2.65 ERA, and adds vital experience beyond St. Louis' big three of Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter and Joel Pineiro.
Smoltz could just as easily serve as a valuable arm late in the game given his unique background as a former closer who totaled 144 saves
to win," La Russa said. "Right now it's important for him to take innings and get his delivery going and have a feel for his pitches.
"And he still has the ability to touch 92 or 93 mph, so you've got to respect his fastball," DeRosa said.
Mark DeRosa, a teammate of Smoltz' in Atlanta from 2001-04, said the right-hander has the same fire to compete even though he's not quite the same pitcher, and has developed a split-finger fastball and a backdoor slider to keep hitters guessing.
DOLE LEADERSHIP PRIZE PRESENTED TO DONNA SHALALA (former HHS Secretary)
"So the more he's out there, the better."