-
LEYLAND SAYS NO
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
Pittsburgh manager Jim Leyland's final night in a Pirates uniform in Pittsburgh won't be his night.
Leyland, who will resign at the end of the season to seek a job with a contending team, turned down the Pirates.
to seek work here in team, turned down the Pirates'
turned down the pirates request to stage a night in his
quest to stage a night in his honor before Wednesday's game against St. Louis. Leyland said he didn't feel comfortable with the attention and preferred the Pirates do nothing special.
DID YOU KNOW?
The last team to defeat the Kansas football team and not go to a post-season bowl game
was Missouri, who beat the Jayhawks in the final game of the 1992 season.
Nike, the athletic shoe giant is not pleased that BOB DOLE'S, anti-drug slogan, "Just Don't Do It," borrows heavily from "Just Do It" ad campaign.
"JUST FORGET IT..."
The Republican presidential candidate used the phrase repeatedly during a cam
paign stop in Chico, Calif.,
Wednesday, urging the young crowd to chant it with him.
Bob Dole
"We're a sports and fitness company, and we're uncomfortable about being brought into the political arena," Nike representative Jim small said.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1996
tommy Morrison to fight again despite HIV diagnosis
TULSA, Okla. — Former heavyweight boxer Tommy Morrison, who is HIV positive, said yesterday he will return to the ring for one last fight, which will raise money for children with AIDS and awareness for the disease.
Morrison said there is no site, no date and no opponent, but he hopes the fight occurs before spring.
"A lot of people are probably not
Tommy Morrison
"Being rejected is more emotional than having the virus itself," Morrison said.
Becki Andre, of the state Professional Boxing Advisory Board, said Morrison likely would not be licensed to fight in Oklahoma because he remains on medical suspension in Nevada.
communities and schools
Change by scorer gives Clemens five hits,not four
DETROIT — OK, it was a five-hitter. Still, no one can take away Roger Clemens' 20 strikeouts.
A change by the official scorer yesterday added one hit to Clemens's total allowed in Wednesday night's gem in which he matched his major
Roger Clemens
Melvin Nieves. After watching tape replays and thinking about the play overnight, Shook changed the call prior to yesterday afternoon's game, crediting Nieves with a single.
The Associated Press
That left Clemens (10-12) with a five-hitter, 20 strikeouts and no walks.
Pigskin Picks
BILL PETULLA
GREEN BAY 35 MINNESOTA 10
league record by striking out 20 Detroit Tigers in nine innings. In the eighth inning, Boston first baseman Mo Vaughn was originally given an error by scorer Richard L. Shook on a grounder by
TEXAS 35 NOTRE DAME 3
CARLYN FOSTER
SECTION B
GREEN BAY 27 MINNESOTA 14
TEXAS 17 NOTRE DAME 10
DEBRAKSIAN 49 ARIZONA 21
ADAM HERSCHMAN
MINNESOTA 24 GREEN BAY 13
TEXAS 21
TEXAS 27 NOTRE DAME 17
ROY WILLIAMS
MAY 24. INDINAPOLIS 21
MINNESOTA 14 GREEN BAY 13
NOTRE DAME 20 TEXAS 14
Andy Rohrback/KANSAN
Dig this
GR Gordon-Ross / KANSAN
Sophomore setter Laura Rohde brushes up on her jump serve in preparation for the KU volleyball home opener against Texas-Pan American at 8 tonight at Allen Field House. For a story about the game and a look at the players, see Page 6B.
Rutz not likely to start in Utah
By Dan Gelston
Kansan sportswriter
Ben Rutz lost a job he never really had.
the senior quarterback entered No. 22 Kansas' season listed No. 1 on the quarterback depth chart, but it looks as if junior Matt Johner will start against Utah on Sept. 28.
After spending last season as Mark Williams' backup and after appearing in six games, including the Aloha Bowl, Rutz was ready and able to take on the starting role.
However, he didn't recover fully from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee that he suffered during spring football, and he spent the remainder of the spring and summer trying to recover. Rutz also tore his right ACL in 1992 while at Nebraska.
When Rutz wasn't ready to play in the Jayhawks' season opener against Ball State, Johner received
the nod. His strong performance earned him another start on Saturday against Texas Christian, and a respectable performance against the Horned Frogs led to his probable start in the Jahwhaws' next game.
Rutz has seen limited playing time this season. He is five of nine for 73 vards and one touchdown.
"It's been tough," Rutz said. "Getting injured can make or break someone, and it's been difficult for me to come back from it."
Rutz said it was not his health that he was worried about now.
"I've gotten to the point where I'm back from it now," he said of the injury. "Right now, I'm trying to get the mental part back."
Rutz said that when he was on the field, he didn't think about reinjuring himself.
"I don't worry about that now," he said. "Right now, I'm as mobile as I need to be."
Rutz said he was given a fair
chance by the coaching staff at the beginning of the season, but there was little chance of getting an opportunity to start because he wasn't 100 percent. In addition, it would be hard to replace Johner because of the way he had been playing.
"Right now, it's just up to me to try and get back into the groove of things," Rutz said.
After the Jayhawks 52-17 victory against Texas Christian, Kansas coach Glen Mason said he didn't want to talk about the quarterback situation, but during Monday's Big 12 Conference coaches teleconference, Mason said he liked Johner's improvement and progress.
As for whether Rutz will get a chance to start sometime this season, he didn't know.
Morrison's return a sad thing
As the clock ticks down to Saturday's softball showdown between the two factions of the Kansan (the news side and advertising side), in which the trash-talking ad side has won the last 15 consecutive games, I am reminded of the immortal words of Vince Lombardi: "We'll do our talking on the field."
There's a fellow playing for the Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity's second team who punted a ball Monday night in intramural flag football 45 yards by my measurement. For those of you keeping track at home, that's almost double the yards Kansas punter Dean Royal kicked for last Saturday night against Texas Christian.
nrurteen-yard boots not do in the Jayhawks against TCU, but giving teams like Nebraska, Kansas State or Colorado those kind of breaks just can't happen. By the way.
SPORTS EDITOR
Coach Mason, if you're curious about this blue-chip punting prospect, give me a call.
prospect, give Tommy Morrison a
Forget that Tommy Morrison is a
complete hypocrite for deciding to
re-enter the ring after saying he
would never fight again on Feb. 15.
Forget that he was so bloodily
beaten up by Lennox Lewis that it
looked like Morrison thought he
was getting paid by the pint. Forget
that the highlight of "Westport
Tommy's" career was getting the
snot knocked out of him by Sylvester Stallone in Rocky V. Tommy Morrison's return to boxing poses a very serious threat to the boxing world.
Boxing, as Philadelphia Daily News columnist Bill Conlin once wrote, "...is a dangerous enterprise
gerous enterprise ruled by sinister men." The sad truth is that dozens of small-time boxers will be lining up for a shot at whatever kind of stardom they might receive by defeating the HIV-infected Morrison.
And for every blockhead that's willing to step into the ring with Tommy, there's a vile promoter standing right behind him who will gladly exploit his ill-advised boxer for every penny he is worth.
If you don't believe me, listen to what Ross Purity, who battled Morrison to a 10-round draw in 1994, said about the prospect of fighting Tommy.
"I. I would fight him. I'll fight anybody, anywhere."
That's the kind of testosterone-filled logic we're dealing with when it comes to boxers.
Seattle's Alex Rodriguez deserves the American League Most Valuable Player award.
■ weu, it's Friday and my mailbox has been filling up. So here we go with letters from actual readers:
DEAR BILL — I'm a big Notre Dame fan, so what kind of odds do the Fighting Irish have against Texas in Austin, Texas, this Saturday?
me dating a Crimson Girl; Kansas men's basketball coach John Tesh; President Tyson — those kind of odds.
DEAR BILL — How much is Jacque Vaughn's injury going to hurt KU's preseason rankings?
If another person asks me this question, I'll throw up.
How long is it going to take Kansas fans to figure out that the only rankings that matter are the ones that come out when the season's finished?
Besides, I'm working out 6 to 8 hours a day to fill Jacque's void. So Ryan Robertson and C.B. McGrath, lace up your Converses real tight, 'cause I'm coming after you.
DEAR BILL — I’m sick of you dogging on my Chiefs. Why don’t you tell your readers who your favorite NFL team is?
Humm...who are the Chiefs playing this weekend? Yep, I've always been a Broncos fan.
You can e-mail Bill Petulla at sports@kansan.com
Swimmer not content to float by on past successes
Senior record-holder wants to set more during last lap
By Matt Woodruff
Kansan sportswriter
Senior Erik Jorgensen has accomplished just about everything possible as a Kansas swimmer. He holds the Kansas record for the 500-meter freestyle. He also holds several Big Eight records and was named the Big Eight Swimmer of the Year last season.
So what goal does it have? "I really want to do things that I've never done before," Jorgensen said. "It's going to be hard to beat last year, but that's my goal."
Jorgensen, a Lodi, Calif., native, has his work cut out for him. Last year, besides being named Big Eight Swimmer of the Year, Jorgensen broke conference records in the 1500-meter, the 500-meter freestyle, and the 800-meter freestyle relay. He also remained undefeated all year in the 500-meter freestyle.
What goals has he set for himself this year?
But Jorgensen has set even lofter goals for this season, including finishing the 1650-meter freestyle in less than 15 minutes, which would break the Big Eight Meet record that Jorgensen already holds.
Although these are considerable goals, Kansas assistant swimming coach Mike Soderling feels they are attainable.
"Erik had a very good year last year. He really made a big jump," Sodlering said. "I don't see any reason for that not to continue. He simply one of the top distance swimmers in the U.S. right now."
Jorgensen said another one of his goals would be living up to the coaches' expectations that came with being a senior.
being a senior.
"I've really noticed extra pressure, even in the first couple of weeks," Jorgensen said. "Instead of the coach looking for you to go out and win, encouraging it, it's almost like it's mandatory now. That's what comes with being a senior and knowing what's all about."
Jorgensen said this pressure has helped him reach his potential and is one of the reasons he came to Kansas.
"I would say that (Kansas swimming coach) Gary Kempf was the biggest reason I came here, along with the team," Jorgensen said.
Jorgensen also hopes to create more memories in this, his final year as a swimmer.
"One of the highlights of my career was at the Iowa KU Lounge meet." Jorgensen said.
KU meet last year, the Kansas 400-meter freestyle relay team was losing by two body lengths when Jorgensen caught up with the lead swimmer in the last 100 yards and won the lap.
Kathleen Driscoll / KANRAN
Erik Jorgensen, junior freestyle, practices his swimming stroke in Robinson Natatorium.
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