---
THE UNIVERSITY OF DARY KANSAN
MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2009
SPORTS
5B
FOOTBALL
Alumni gather for pre-season rally in Prairie Village
BY HALLIE MANN
hmann@kansan.com
The pep band was playing the fight song and the fans were cheering as coach Mark Mangino approached the microphone. For J.J. Wenrich, 2000 Kansas graduate from Overland Park, it was just like old times during football season.
Friday night at Corinth Square in Prairie Village, the Athletics Department and the Alumni Association hosted a preseason football rally for fans and alumni. Wenrich, his wife and two sons were at the event to relive the excitement of Kansas football.
"I grew up going to games, and we're trying to get back as often as
Follow Kansan football writer Hallie Mann at twitte.com/hallelmann11.
we can," Wenrich said. "I have a lot of good memories and we'd love to make [the rally] a tradition for our family."
As Wenrich's two sons jumped their way through the inflatable obstacle course, he said he hoped that they would also go to Kansas some day. He said this was the first time he and his wife would be taking their sons to the football games and he planned to share his Kansas memories with them.
Across the parking lot, burgers
grilled and Alumni Association members like Dana Blair reminisced over a free meal. Blair is from Olathe, graduated from Kansas in 1967 and comes to alumni events as often as he can.
"We like to come out and see what Mangino has to say about our team," Blair said. "I think we're going to be very good this year."
Blair said he and his wife tried to go to all of the football games and said he got back to campus as often as he could. Blair said he was confident that Mangino and the football team would go back to another bowl game this season and he looked forward to watching them win again.
The giant inflatable layhawk, free giveaways and live music at events like the rally wouldn't be
possible without the partnership of the Alumni Association and Kansas Athletics, said Joy Maxwell, assistant director of the Kansas City programs for the Alumni Association. She said the Alumni Association lived for football season by hosting party parties, tailgates and reunions during the season each year. Maxwell organized this year's rally, which had more than 5,000 attendees.
"Our goal at the Alumni Association is to connect alums back to the school they love," Maxwell said. "We're out in full force during football season."
Maxwell said the Alumni Association hosted events for alums and their families at home and away games. She said they encouraged Jayhawks of all ages
to come to these events and be a part of the Kansas family. For current students there is a Student Alumni Association led by Stefani Gerson, coordinator of student programs for the Alumni Association.
"We try to give students in SAA a taste of what's it's going to be like as alumni," Gerson said. "We have student leaders who work with the Alumni Center to bring events to campus."
Gerson said football season and the start of school was a great time for students to join SAA. She said there were many perks, such as free meals for members on Fridays during football season to get students ready for the game.
ALUMNI EVENTS COMING UP
- Edited by Amanda Thompson
Home Football Fridays:
11a.m. to 1 p.m., Sept. 4
Adams Alumni Center
Free Food for KU Students
KU Spirit Reunion:
Sept. 4-6, various events:
Tours, Tailgating and Receptions for Alumni
(See alumni Web site for full details)
FOOTBALL NOTES
FRESHMAN WILL SEE TIME THIS SEASON
Freshman wide receiver Bradley McDougald offered coach Mark Mangino a first this offseason.
"I have not really had a true
freshman come in and do what he can do since I've been here," Mangino said. McDougald originally
committed to
Ohio State before deciding to sign with Kansas. Mangino said McDougald would see the field this season.
"He will play." Mangino said. "He'll be in the mix both at the line of scrimmage and on special teams."
THARP CONTINUING TO DEVELOP
One of the mild surprises from Kansas' media day on Aug. 11 was the announcement by coach Mark Mangino that freshman Hul
don Tharp was close to earning a starting spot at linebacker.
Tharp
A week later, Mangino said Tharp, from Mulvane, had continued improving.
"Huldon is very mature for his years. You would not believe with the football aptitude that he has that he's a freshman," Mangino said. "He has come on strong and he's in there fighting for a starting job.
"He's a tough, hard-nosed guy and he's smart. He just brings it every play. He's still a freshman and we're mindful of that, but he's going to play."
DEFENSE LINEMAN PROGRESSING
After redshirting last season, freshman Duane Dlatnik has drawn impressive reviews from search Marks.
coach Mark Mangino
Zlatnik,
a native of
Rossville, will
see playing
time on the
defensive line
this season,
Mangino said.
"Duane has worked hard. He's certainly not a finished product and he's a young guy," Mangino said. "But boy you look at where he was at the end of spring and how far he's come in the summer and through training camp, I'm really pleased with him. He's going to help us quite a bit."
Jayson Jenks
NATIONAL Mental evaluation sought for extortion defendant
NATIONAL
Sypher has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of trying to extort money from Pitino and lying to the FBI. She is accused of demanding college tuition for her children, that her house be paid off and $10 million in exchange for keeping quiet about allegations involving Pitino.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A woman charged with trying to extort $10 million from University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino may be so mentally incompetent that she does not understand the legal proceedings and may not be able to assist in her own defense, federal prosecutors said in asking a judge to order a psychological exam.
In a motion filed in federal court, prosecutors asked U.S. District Judge Charles Simpson to order the exam for Karen Cunagin Sypher, 49, based on "a multitude of factors."The reasons for their request were included in sealed documents.
NATIONAL Nev. may begin to use instant replay for fights
LAS VEGAS — Nevada may start using instant repain in boxing and mixed martial arts within a month to help referees review crucial moments of fights.
The Nevada Athletic Commission approved limited use of the
technology to help referees rule whether hits like low blows or head-butts are accidental — if they cause a fight to end because of injury.
Commission executive director Keith Kizer said instant replay would be used at the sole discretion of referees.
Associated Press
Associated Press
KU INDEPENDENT STUDY KU Courses Distance Learning
NFL
UMANITIES LECTURE SERIES 2009-2010
Broncos fall to Seahawks
785-864-4798 * www.hallcenter.ku.edu
Culture as Commonwealth
LEWIS HYDE Aug.25, 2009 |7:30 p.m. Woodruff Auditorium, Kansas Union
Lewis Hyde's first and most renowned book, The Gift, has been described as "a masterpiece" and an "epiphany, in sculpted prose". In his lecture, Hyde will take us through his current work-in-progress, exploring the "cultural commons." that vast store of unowned ideas, inventions, and works of art that we have inherited from the past and that we continue to create. Hyde is the Richard L. Thomas Professor of Creative Writing at Kenyon College.
Additional Event "A Conversation with Lewis Hyde"
Aug. 26, 10 a.m.
Hall Center Conference Hall
Additional Event
BY GREGG BELL Associated Press
This series is co-sponsored by Kansas Public Radio. Partial funding for the Humanities Lecture Series is provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities. 2000 Challenge Grant
KU
HALL CENTER
FOR THE HUMANITIES
SEATTLE Brandon Marshall's feud with the Broncos continued on Saturday, with the disgruntled wide receiver left back in Denver while the rest of the team lost a preseason game at Seattle.
"Everybody who was ready and able to play in this game was here. And everybody we deemed not ready and able stayed back home," Broncos first-year coach Josh McDaniels said late Saturday night after Denver's 27-13 loss.
The team also left safety Brian Dawkins home. The 35-year-old Dawkins, who joined the Broncos after 13 seasons in Philadelphia, missed a week and a half of training camp with a broken right hand that required surgery. He returned to the field last week and picked
The coach added he "absolutely" expected Marshall to participate when the Broncos return to practice Tuesday.
off a pass despite a cumbersome club on his hand.
Broncos rookie cornerback Alphonso Smith, a second-round pick for whom Denver traded a No. 1 pick in 2010 to Seattle to draft, left with an apparent injury to his right leg in the third quarter following a kickoff return. The Broncos said only that Smith had an injury to a "lower extremity."
Chris Simms replaced starting quarterback Kyle Orton midway through the third quarter and completed five of seven passes into
Marshall spent two days last week working almost exclusively with the scout team after saying he was nowhere near mastering the new offense.
the fourth period. Then impressive Seahawks rookie pass musher Nick Reed got tangled up with a blocker and landed on Simms' left foot. Simms limped into the locker room with trainers. Rookie Tom Brandstater replaced him.
He is upset with the Broncos over their refusal to redo his contract.