Home-run chase
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
119
Wednesday September 23,1998
Sports
Section:
WNBA Basketball
Both Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire went homerless in wins by the Cubs and the Cardinals. See Page 5B
B
Tamecka Dixon is an emerging star in the WNBA, and she relishes her high profile.
See Page 5B
SEE PAGE 3B
NBA Basketball
Page 1
Players and owners remain at a labor impasse as the season approaches.
SEE PAGE 8B
Contact the Kansan
Sports Desk:
Sports Fax:
Sports E-mail:
(785) 864-4810
(785) 864-0391
mattf@ukans.edu
Stayin' alive '70s style
Disco era influences linebacker's clothing
By Jodi M. Smith
Senior linebacker Steve Bratten makes a tackle during the Oklahoma State game. Bratten has set up a community outreach program in which he spends one or two days a week as a big brother to an area elementary school student. Photo by Dan Elavsky/KANSAN
By Jodi M. Smith
Kansan sportswriter
A red, white and blue mesh University of Kansas football jersey is not the only piece of clothing Kansas linebacker Steve Bratten owns.
In fact, Bratten has been known to cruise Lawrence in polyester bell-bottoms and butterfly-collar shirts. He dresses this way because he formulated a minor obsession with the '70s decade since his high school days in Colorado.
"It it's just a cool era," he said. "When I was in high school up in Colorado, we used to go to some places in Boulder, and they'd have '70s night, and people would wear big wigs and polyester suits."
Bratten's clothing style has influenced some of his friends. He has convinced sophomore wide receiver Tanner Hancock to jump on the '70s bandwagon.
But not all of Bratten's friends are willing to experiment for his sake.
Bradten's roommate, free safety Chad Coellner, said he would go along with things only to a certain extent.
"He tried to get me to dress up once for this Bahama-Mama party," Coelner said. "The only thing I would put on was this huge Afro wig, this Captain-Caveman lookin' wig."
Bratten's clothes are not the only thing that reflect his addiction to the disco era. His room is a shrine to '70 decor.
"It's funny," Coelner said. "You go up to his room, and he's got all these beads hanging from his ceiling."
"The other wall is just a mixture of little paintings all over the wall of God knows what," Coellner said. "If you ask him what it is, he says it's the life story of Elvis."
Bratten also has painted his walls — each wall a different color, in homage to the 70s. One wall is bright yellow, another bright blue and a third bright red.
The decor is enhanced by the pink carpet and Mr. Bones, a skeleton painted psychedelic colors perched atop a pedestal.
Bratten even has ventured briefly into the world of lamb-choon sideburns
He shaved them at the request of football coach Terry Allen.
Even though Lawrence residents are more than accustomed to strange clothing, some people still find Bratten's wardrobe a bit odd.
"People generally do a double-take." Bratten said. "If I saw somebody dressed like that, I'd think it was cool."
Bratten finds "70s clothing the most interesting part of that decade.
"It's hilarious lookin'," Bratten said. "These people would just go all out wearing really tight clothes and all this jewelry, and it kind of looked ridiculous. But it's just cool clothes; I just like it."
Kansas' Bratten honored for his work with children
Bv Jodi M. Smith
Kanson sportswriter
Senior linebacker Steve Bratton has been named to the American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team for his work with children from Centennial Elementary School.
Bratten joined the program with junior fullback Tyrus Fontenot.
"I guess about a year ago, Tyrus came up with the idea that he was interested in doing something like that, and I thought it sounded like a good idea," Bratten said.
important that players work in the community.
"It's monumental," he said. "It's a great thing for him and a great thing for us to have him involved that way. We're anxious to have our players involved in the community."
Eleven players from NCAA Division I-A teams received the award.
Coach Terry Allen said it was
"The Good Works Team attempts to recognize those student-athletes who go above and beyond in service to others," said Grant Teaff, AFCA Executive Director. "The AFCA is proud to honor those who have a positive
impact in their communities."
Bratten enjoys the program.
"It's just a good thing," he said.
"You feel like you're helping out. You're making a difference for somebody."
Terry Allen said yesterday that Dariss Lomax was academically ineligible and would not play for the Javahaws this year.
Linebacker Andrew LeClair will be out two or three games with an injured knee.
Defensive lineman Dion Rayford practiced yesterday but has only about a 50 percent chance of playing this weekend.
KU student goes the distance in triathlon
Brinkley places 25th at race in Switzerland
Sara Brinkley, Winfield freshman, runs at Rim Rock Farm. In addition to running cross country for Kansas, Brinkley is a triathlete. Photo by Matthew Friedrichs/KANSAN
Brinkley, freshman cross country runner, is a member of the United States Junior Triathlon team. She placed 25th and was the top American finisher at the World Junior Triathlon Championships in Switzerland Aug. 22-23.
By Dan Ferguson
Kansan sportswriter
For Sara Brinkley, running is the easy part.
"It's nice to be back here because I only have to concentrate on one sport," Brinkley said. "It saves me a lot of time."
Although Brinkley is proud of her accomplishment, she said it felt good to be back in Lawrence and running for the Jayhawks.
The triathlon consists of a 1500-meter swim, 40-kilometer bike race and a 10-kilometer run. Brinkley said that training for such a gruelling event was a year-round commitment.
For the past four summers, Brinkley has traveled to the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., for five weeks to train with other U.S. junior triathletes.
Although the training shortens her
This summer, Brinkley competed in world championship qualifying meets against seven other Americans. Four were chosen. Brinkley and three other Americans traveled to Lausanne, Switzerland, where they competed against 107 other countries recognized by the International Olympic Committee.
The triathlon will be recognized as an Olympic sport for the first time at the 2000 games in Sydney, Australia.
"I enjoy it because it's much easier to focus for training there than it is at home," Brinkley said. "Plus, I'm with people who are in the same boat as I am training-wise."
summer vacation, Brinkley said she
enjoyed the time she spent in Colorado.
Although the U.S. team already has been chosen for the 2000 games, Brinkley has her sights on 2004 and 2008.
"I always wanted to go to the Olympics as a child," Brinkley said. "Now that I have the chance, I'm going to do my best to take advantage of it."
United States Junior National Team coach Michelle Blessing said that Brinkley had both the talent and experience to achieve her Olympic dream.
"I'm going to take a little break now since I just got done peaking for world's and to make sure I don't get burnt out," Brinkley said. "I'll probably start training again around Christmas break."
Cross country coach Gary Schwartz said Brinkley had helped the team.
"The biggest thing she can provide the rest of the team is mental toughness in the aspects of training," Schwartz said, "Another thing I like about Sara is that she is a real positive person. She always brings a lot of energy that helps to excite the rest of the team."
Brinkley said that her father and older sister had competed in triathlons.
"You always hope someone in the junior program will step up as the top performer, and Sara has done that," Blessing said. "Training for an event like the triathlon takes a lot of dedication and Sara has a lot going on in her
life right now. Hopefully when she is done with school, she will have more time to dedicate to training."
Brinkley will concentrate on cross country this fall.
"I just know I competed in my first triathlon when I was seven," Brinkley said. "I guess I was just carrying on a little bit of the family tradition."
Brinkley continued to compete in triathlons while attending Winfield High School. She also won two state high school cross country championships.
"Our high school program was pretty intense," Brinkley said. "That's helped me in my training a lot."
Commentary
Reporters should use better judgment when writing about athletic recruitment
reporting on recruits has become a joke of the profession.
Case in point.
Roy said it was some of the best bread he had ever eaten. It was not long after this visit, and praise of the bread, that Gooden committed.
It was reported that when basketball coach Roy Williams visited recruit Andrew Gooden, who committed to Kansas, Gooden's uncle, a chef, treated Williams to a helping of banana nut bread.
Coincidence? I do not know.
In high school, a Navy recruiter called and asked me what my plans were after high school. I told him I was going to the University of Kansas.
That excited him.
Navy recruiter: "Those Jaybirds are great."
Me: "That's Javhawk.'
Me. That's Jayhawk.
Nevy recruiter "Whatever."
Sufficed to say, I put my naval career on hold.
Imagine what would have happened if Roy had slipped during the pivotal bread moment.
Gooden's Uncle: "Coach, have some of this warm bread."
Spencer Duncan
Rov:"I love banana bread."
Gooden's Uncle: "But this is banana NUT bread."
Roy:"Whatever."
Obviously this was a crucial moment, but was it important enough to report? How was it relevant?
Reporting on college recruiting is news, but it seems as if things are out of hand.
Gooden's Uncle: "Coach Krzyszewski at Duke, he likes the nuts."
Andrew Gooden: "I'm going to Duke."
Instead of just learning who is recruiting whom, reporters are chasing down the inane details.
What food did a coach eat during the visit? What is the recruit's favorite color? What does the athlete's bedroom look like? Does the player like nuts?
These things are interesting, but the methods to obtain the information border on harassment. So-called recruiting experts and reporters pester players, prep coaches, parents, girlfriends, teachers and neighbors. They call these people every other day until a player makes a decision.
As if picking a college is not tough enough.
Nearly two years ago, an annoyed Roy announced he would no longer talk about recruiting. Part of the decision was because he was limited by NCAA regulations about what he could say but also because he was fed up with the harassment he felt existed.
Roy takes some of this too personally and should loosen up a bit, however, he is partly right. Once reporters latch onto a recruit, they do not let up.
Players have been known to dismiss a school because of what they read. Some get disgusted with the media covering a certain school and decide they do not want to face that during their collegiate career.
Coaches get upset when papers report their school is recruiting a player because other players learn they are not the only ones being woed by the school. Coaches can lose the upper hand when that happens.
But coaches need to deal with that. Reporting on recruits must be done.
To a degree, coaches' discouragement is understood. There is no reason to call a player or a coach every other day for three months to ask if the player has made a decision yet. They do not need to call everyone who has ever met the recruit to see if the athlete wears boxers or briefs.
it was interesting to read that Gooden's uncle served banana nut bread. There are many cases when knowing the small details offer fascinating insight into the life of a player.
There has to be a middle ground. After all, they are still young kids.
While the bread story was told voluntarily, reporters have discovered similar stories by hounding players.
Reporters need to use more discretion in recruiting stories. I should know, I'm one of them.
Duncan is a Topeka senior in journalism and English.
Student picks
Cal Butcher Pueblo, Colo. grad. student 10-2
Caleb Hansley Pittsburg junior 10-2
Jason Shumaker Grand Prairie, Texas freshman 10-2
Mike Leslie Shawnee senior 8-4
Jay Sanderson Douglass freshman 9-3
Derek Olson Portland, Ore senior 8-4
Dave Raddatz Holdrege, Neb. junior 8-4
Seth Rowldt Lincoln, Neb. freshman 8-4
Brandon Robertson Burlington junior 7-5
Jason York Alton, Ill. sophomore 7-5
Kristi Elliott / KANSAN