MLB UPDATE
TONY LA RUSSA, who brought his intense style to a new league and led the St. Louis Cardinals to the NL Central championship, won The Associated Press manager of the year award yesterday. La Russa received 49 votes in balloting by a nationwide panel of sports writers and broadcasters. Bruce Bochy, of NL West champion San Diego, was second with 30 votes and Johnny Oates, of AL West champion Texas, was third with 27. Joe Torre, of the World Series champion New York Yankees, was fourth with 19. Voting was completed before the start of the playoffs.
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN SPORTS
COLLEGE FOOTBALL UPDATE
Seven senior quarterbacks have been selected as finalists for the JOHNNY UNITAS GOLDEN ARM AWARD. The finalists announced yesterday are Pat Barnes of California, Koy Det曼 of Colorado, Jake Plummer of Arizona State, Ron Powlus
of Notre Dame, Steve Sarkislan of Brigham Young, Steve Schnur of Northwestern and Danny Wuerfelf of Florida. The winner will be announced Nov. 27. The award is to be presented Dec. 13 in Louisville, Ky.
THEY SAID IT...
Although Kansas offensive coordinator GOLDEN PAT RUEL was upset with the Jayhawks 63-7 loss to Nebraska on Saturday, he was able to keen.
HURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1996
duty, he was used in the pounding in its proper prospec-
the pounding in proper prospective.
"Nebraska's not exactly
Johnny off the pickle boat, " he said.
Kansas
returns to action at 1 p.m. on Saturday in Ames, Iowa, against the Troy Davis-led Iowa State Cyclones.
Texas investigates report of players talking with agent
AUSTIN, TEXAS — Texas has told the Big 12 Conference and NCAA that it is investigating reports that at least three football players may have met with an agent on Sunday.
A source close to the university told The Associated Press that the investigation centers on a reported meeting at ah Austin hotel that included Texas receiver Mike Adams, safety Tre Thomas and corner-back Bryant Westbrook.
The source said that reports began to surface on Tuesday that the three players had met with a man in the hotel's restaurant who discussed such topics as the NFL salary cap and how contracts in the NFL work before handing them some papers.
Mackovic said the players would remain eligible to play in Saturday's game against Baylor.
David Berst, head of the NCAA's enforcement division, said student athletes were permitted to meet with agents but were not permitted to agree orally or in writing to be represented by an agent, and they could not receive any cash or material benefits from agents.
ATLANTA — The Atlanta Falcons and quarterback Jeff George reached a settlement on Tuesday in which George loses less than a fourth of the amount he could have lost had a four-game suspension been upheld in arbitration.
Falcons settle dispute with fired quarterback
Falcons officials would confirm only
that a confidential settlement was reached, but the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in yesterday's editions that the former Falcon
The newspaper said the settlement came after three hours of a grievance hearing.
would be docked three-quarters of one game check — or about $160,000 — for his Sept. 22 sideline tirade at coach June Jones. The team wanted to penalize him by withholding $855,529 from his $3.6 million one-year salary.
"We accomplished a mutually acceptable agreement that allows both the Failons and he to put them behind them," said George's agent, Leigh Steinberg.
Sparky Anderson interviews for Angels manager position
NAHEM, CALIF. — Sparky Anderson, who retired as Detroit Tigers manager last year, is among the top candidates to manage the California Angels.
The 62-year-old Anderson, an Angels television analyst in 1995, was to meet this week with Tony Tavares, president of Disney Sports and the Angels' controlling owner. Tavare also is meeting with other candidates.
Area newspapers said the list also included Attanta third-base coach limy Williams, previously a Toronto Blue Jays manager, Houston Astros manager Terry Collins, New York Mets coach Mike Cubbage and Baltimore Orioles batting coach Rick Down.
SECTION B
The Associated Press
Experience, Anderson has. His 2,194 career victories as manager of the Cincinnati Reds and at Detroit are third-best in major league history, and his Reds and Tigers won the World Series.
A Texas Rangers coach, Jerry Narron, interviewed for the job earlier and said Angels general manager Bill Bavasi told him the team was leaning toward someone who had managed previously in the major leagues.
"Bill was straightforward and sounded pretty certain about it," Narron told the Orange County Register.
Media Day brings Big 12 together
Women's basketball teams look to become premier conference
By Adam Herschman Kansan sportswriter
Four Texas schools joined the members of the former Big Eight Conference yesterday deep in the heart of Kansas City. Mo.
teams from the former Southwest Conference — Baylor, Texas, Texas Tech and Texas A&M — joined the former Big Eight teams at the inaugural Big 12 Conference Preseason Women's Basketball Media Day at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center.
The reeting among many coaches at Media Day was that the Big 12 will be a top women's basketball conference.
"I believe that it's going to be one of the best conferences in the country," Kansas women's basketball coach Marian Washington said.
Iowa State women's basketball coach Bill Fennell agreed.
"I think it's going to be a phenomenal conference," Fennelly said. "I think it's going to be a league from Iowa down to the middle corridor of the country. People are going to recognize the Big 12 as
"I really believe the Big 12 is poised to be the second strongest conference in the nation."
Debbie Patterson Kansas State women's basketball coach
Debbie Patterson
one of the premier conferences in the country."
the conference has the statistics to prove it. Seven of the teams that now make up the Big 12 made it to last year's NCAA Tournament. Also, there has been an average of four Big 12 teams listed in the Top 25 of each of the last five final women's basketball polls.
Texas coach Jody Conradt said she felt the Big 12 was promising.
"I really believe that it has the potential to be a tremendous basketball conference, but that doesn't mean it's automatically going to happen," Conradt said. "It means we're going to have work at it individually and as a conference. We have a long way to go in terms of building fan support and putting people in arenas."
Kansas State's new women's basketball coach, Debbie Patterson, doesn't think the Big 12 is the top conference for two reasons.
She said the Southeastern Conference is the top conference because of its long tradition of being the best, and the depth of the athletes from the SEC teams exists nowhere else. Patterson previously was an assistant women's basketball coach at Vanderbilt.
"I really believe the Big 12 is poised to be the second strongest conference in the nation," Patterson said. "However, I think with the addition of the Texas schools to this league, we have just really stepped into the shadow of the SEC. That's not a bad place to be."
The SEC is tied for first with the Big 12 among conferences with the winningest women's basketball teams of the 1990s.
Colorado senior forward Erin Scholz, a preseason all-America candidate, said the competition of the Big Eight Conference was high, but with the addition of teams, the Big 12 would be stronger.
"I'm excited to compete against some new faces," Scholz said. "I think that night in, night out, it's going to be a battle."
Kickin'
Steve Pupde / KANSAN
Kansas junior punter Dean Royal punts the football as a Nebraska defender rushes in. Royal punted nine times in Saturday's game for a 39.9-yard average.In seven games, Royal has punted 40 times for an average of 39.2 yards.
Kansas still competing for recruits
6-1 guard may be rethinking verbal commitment to UCLA
By Evan Blackwell Kansan sportswriter
Kansas' search for a point guard in this year's recruiting class may be taking some unexpected twists.
Earl Watson, a 6-foot-1 guard from Washington High School in Kansas City, Kan., may be having second thoughts about his oral
commitment to UCLA. Watson gave his word to the
son gave his word to Bruins after an in-home visit from coach Jim Harrick in September.
Now, some recruiting analysts are reporting that Watson may be con-
sidinger staying in the area, choosing not to play behind another UCLA recruit, Baron Davis. The reconsideration could open the door again at Kansas and Nebraska.
"The coaching staff (at UCLA) called him and assured him that he would see plenty of time at both the one and two (guard spots)," said Greg Rosenberg of Ultimate Hoops magazine. "It's sort of up in the air right now."
Rosenberg said that Watson would make an unofficial visit to Iowa State soon.
Several publications have reported that LeTrevis Spivey, a 6-2 point guard from Durham, N.C., is very interested in the Jayhawks. Spivey, of Mount Zion Academy, may visit Kansas soon.
Spivey's coach, Joel Hopkins, said Kansas was high on the point guard's wish list but that he was waiting to see what happens after the signing period officially begins Nov. 13.
"Kansas is at the top of his list," Hopkins said. "We're waiting to see what happens with some other players after the 13th."
Even though Spivey doesn't appear on most analysts' top 100 lists, Hopkins said Spivey was the best defensive point guard in his class. In his eyes, the Jayhawks and Spivey would be a perfect match, he said.
"No point guard can go out and check the ball the way he can," Hopkins said. "He's a natural floor leader."
Kenny Gregory of Columbus, Ohio, may be altering his decision now as well. After visiting hometown Ohio State during the weekend, the 6-5 guard has added the Buckeyes to his list of finalists, which includes Kansas, Cincinnati and Clemson. Many recruiting analysts thought Gregory was a lock for the Jayhawks after his visit to Late Night With Roy Williams on Oct. 18.
Maurice Evans of Wichita has one more visit scheduled in the fall period, and it will be to hometown Wichita State this weekend. Evans' high school coach Mitch Fiegel said Evans still was planning to choose among Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Wichita State in November. Fiegel said Evans may wait until the last day of the period, Nov. 20, to announce his decision.
Two Kansas football players suspended; won't play in Iowa
Kansan staff report
Kansas football coach Glen Mason announced in a news release yesterday that junior defensive back Maurice Gaddie and freshman linebacker Dariss Lomax have been suspended and will not travel with the squad to Ames, Iowa, for the game on Saturday against Iowa State.
Mason indicated that the suspensions were a result of team policy violations.
Gaddie leads the secondary in tackles with 51 and has started six of the seven games at strong safety.
Lonax has not played and is a redshirt candidate.
Michael Allen will replace Gaddie in the starting lineup on Saturday.
Rowing team to end season at home
Regattas offer women experience and speed
By Matt Woodruff
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas women's rowing team will wrap up its fall season on Sunday at Clinton Lake when it competes against Drake in the Fall Sprint Regatta.
The team competed in two head races this fall — the Head of the Kaw and the Head of the Iowa regattas. It also was invited to the the world's largest rowing event, the Head of Charles Regatta in Boston, but that was canceled because of severe weather.
During the weekend at the Head of the Iowa regatta, the A-boat finished first in both the Lightweight Four and Eight races, and was second in the Open Four and Eight.
The freshman squad came in first and third at the Kaw Regatta and fourth at the Iowa Regatta.
Unlike head races in which the teams start 15 to 20 seconds apart and race against the clock, sprint races are头to-head races in which the boats start in lanes at the same time and try to finish first.
The team will compete in five races against Drake — two races each in the Freshman Eight and the Varsity Eight and one race in the Freshman Four.
"I think the girls rowed really well." said assistant coach Tani Odell. "They
"We gained some experience and we gained some speed," Kansas coach Rob Catloth said. "I think we've stepped up from last year. That's one of the goals, to improve every year, and I think we've done that. This weekend we'll be looking to finish our season on a positive note."
started quick and were aggressive throughout the race."
"For now, I would rather see them row at a stroke rate of 24 and do well than row at 30 and be rushed," she said. "Some of the other teams, like K-State, were rowing at 30, which is six strokes a minute more.
Odell said the team was not as fast as some of the other teams at the Iowa Regatta because it was rowing at a lower per-minute stroke rate.
"Over the course of the race, that means they had 90 more strokes than we did, and we still only lost by nine seconds."
Odell said that although the results might not have been quite as good as the team would have liked last weekend, the team had improved a great deal.
9
"When they got off the water they were happy and felt good about the way they raced." Odell said.
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