When it rains...
Just weeks after a his cocaine-possession trial ended, MICHAEL IRVIN, of the Dallas Cowboys, is being sued by several Dallas-area car dealers. The dealers claim that Irvin wasn't honest with them when he signed a contract to endorse their cars. The suit was filed yesterday, but will not be heard in court until March 10.
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN SPORTS
Full Story on Page 12B
Football Update
The Kansas football team selected its captains for the 1996 season yesterday. Senior linebacker Ronnie Ward and senior running back Mark Sanders were chosen by their team
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mates. Ward missed all of last season because of a shoulder injury. Sanders missed the last six games of the season after suffering a knee injury versus Colorado on Oct. 7.
THURSDAY. AUGUST 22,1996
Yesterday Chiefs head coach MARTY SCHOTTHEIMER cut twenty players in order to meet the mandatory roster
CHIEFS UPDATE
requirement of 60 players.
The most notable cuts were Dietrich Jells, a wide receiver from Pittsburgh, and Siran Stacy, who played in the World League last season. In other news from the Chief's training camp, an undisclosed draft choice was traded to
camp, an undisclosed draft choice was traded for Miami Dolphins kicker Pete Stoyanocich.
Fast BREAKS
Angels manager checks into hospital with blood clot in leg The Associated Press
NEW YORK — California Angels manager John McNamara was hospitalized yesterday with a blood clot in his right calf.
McNamara, who has had
trouble walking in recent weeks, was admitted to Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center by Alan Benvenisty. McNamara is expected to be hospitalized for about four days.
Joe Maddon, the team's third-base coach, took over the managing duties for yesterday's game against the New York Yankees.
McNamara, 64, became manager Aug. 6 after Marcel Lachemman's resignation.
Earlier this month, McNamara's leg was so painful that he remained in the clubhouse and let Maddon run the team.
Benvenisty was one of the doctors who operated on Yankees pitcher David Cone's right shoulder May 10.
The Kansas Volleyball drills during practice yesterday. The Lady Jayhawks began practicing August 8 and will be ready for their first rangle on August 30.
U.S. Open plants its seeds
Seedings for the 1996 U.S. Open tennis tournament were released yesterday. Match play begins Monday at the National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadow, N.Y.
1. Pete Sampahr, Tampa, Fla.
2. Michael Chang, Henderson, Nev.
3. Thomas Muster, Austria
4. Goran hansisevic, Croatia
5. Richard Kraijek, Netherlands
6. Andre Agasel, Las Vegas, Nevada
7. Yevgeny Kafennikov, Russia
8. Jim Courier, Miami, Fla.
9. Wayne Ferrera, South Africa
10. Marcelo Rios, Chile
11. MailVal Washington, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
12. Todd Martin, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
13. Thomas Envist, Sweden
14. Alberto Costa, Spain
15. Marc Rosset, Switzerland
16. Cardiic Pioline, France
Women
1. Steffi Graf, Germany
2. Monica Seles, Sarasota, Fla.
3. Arantha Sanchez Vicario, Spain
4. Conchita Martinez, Spain
5. Iva Majoli, Croatia
6. Anke Huber, Germany
7. Jana Novotna, Czech Republic
8. Linda Davenport, Newport Beach, Calif.
9. Mary Joe Fernandez, Key Biscayne, Fla.
10. Kimiko Date, Japan
11. Chanda Rubin, Lafayette, La.
12. Maggie Malevea, Bulgaria
13. Brenda Schultz-McCarthy, Netherlands
14. Barbara Paulus, Austria
15. Gabriela Sabatini, Argentina
16. Martina Hingis, Switzerland
Cubs' slugger breaks hand; Sosa likely lost for season The Associated Press
X-rays taken yesterday revealed a fracture at the juncture of the hand and wrist. Sosa will be out for four
CHICAGO — Sammy Sosa, the Chicago Cubs' top run producer and the National League's leading home run hitter, could be lost for the rest of the season with a broken bone in his right hand.
Lisa will be out for four to six weeks.
Sosa, who has 40 home runs and 100 RBI, was struck on the hand by a pitch from Florida's Mark Hutton in the first inning of Tuesday's
of Tuesday's game at Wrigley Field.
The injury ends Sosa's streak of 304 consecutive games. It was the third longest active streak in the majors behind Baltimore's Cal Ripken and San Francisco's Barry Bonds.
The Cubs said there was only a slim chance the outfielder would return before the end of the season. They are still in the race for the NL Central title and the wild card.
All set to improve
Jayhawks join Big 12 hoping for a new start
By Adam Herschman
Kansan sportswriter
While preparing for the fall volleyball season, Kansas junior Kendra Kahler saw the game this summer from a perspective she never sees during the year.
Kahler, a right-side hitter for the Jayhawks, spent part of her summer coaching kids at volleyball camps in Lawrence and in her hometown of Ottawa.
She said her experience coaching at the camps helped her understand more about what her coaches expect.
A light that may help to improve the Jayhawks 8-19 record last year that tied them for sixth in the Big Eight Conference.
"As a player you don't understand what your coach wants," Kahler said. "It shined a new light."
"It's always frustrating when you have a losing season," Kahler said. "We're learning new things, improving everyday."
The Kansas volleyball team practiced twice a day from Aug 9 to 20.
Kahler, a first-team Phillips 66 Academic All-Big Eight selection, said now that the two-a-days were finished the team would prepare for a tournament in Corvallis, Oregon. The Jayhawks will open the season against Ball State and Purdue Aug. 30 at the Oregon State Tournament.
"Every time you have a new season it's a great chance to just have a fresh start," Kahler said.
Not only will Kansas have a fresh start, but the conference will as well.
This season will be the inaugural year for volleyball in the
Big 12 Conference. Joining the Big Eight schools will be four Texas schools: Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, and Baylor.
"Adding the Texas schools definitely improves the schedule, it's going to be a lot more competitive," Kahler said.
With NCAA Volleyball Champion Nebraska and runner-up Texas, the Big 12 is considered the most competitive conference in the nation.
Not only will the conference be more competitive this year, but the Jayhawks will have no
seniors. The only upper classmen on the team are juniors Kahler, Stephanie Blackwell, Maggie Mohrfeld, Leslie Purkeypile and Tiffany Sennett.
Kansas sophomore outside hitter Moira Donovan said that at times last year the intensity level dropped, but that was what the team was working on in practice.
"We need to try to give 100 percent," Donovan said. "People are going to have to step up."
After posting a 7-3 record during the spring season, the Jayhawks are poised to reach their goals, which include having a winning record and having the highest GPA of the other Kansas sports teams.
"Our team goal is to be in the top six of the Big 12 Conference." Kahler said.
Rutz and Johner battle for starting quarterback spot
Kansas kicks off season next week against the Ball State Cardinals
The starting quarterback for No. 24 Kansas' season opener against Ball State Thursday will be named on game day.
By Dan Gelston
Kansan sportswriter
Or it could be tomorrow.
Rutz, who is listed No.1 on the depth chart, is recovering from reconstructive surgery on his left knee for a torn anterior cruciate ligament that he injured in spring practice.
Who will lead the Jayhawks' air attack is still in the air and changing daily between senior Ben Rutz and junior Matt Johner.
Mason.
"I thought he looked good.
I didn't think he was favoring it at all. So I don't know. I guess we'll see if it's sore tomorrow."
"My whole opinion if Rutz could play the first game changed today," Mason said. "I thought he performed awful well. I saw him make plays.
It appeared Rutz would be too sore to start, but his performance yesterday in a practice game was encouraging to Kansas coach Glen
Rutz's recovery will be aided by Kansas' schedule. After the opening game, Kansas has a bye week and doesn't play again until Sept. 14. Then Jayhawks have another week off before a Sept. 28 game.
Rutz saw limited playing time last season, appearing in six games but starting none. He was 8-for-19 on pass attempts with one interception and no touchdowns.
Johner has played in 15 games for Kansas as a quarterback. He appeared in all 11 games last year but only as a special team holder.
"I kind of came into camp thinking (Rutz) would be starting," Johner said. "But I kind of in the back of my mind thought I'd better get ready to prepare myself the best I can."
Johner is a left-handed quarterback, but he said that might be the only difference between Rutz and himself.
But it's still more experience than Johner has.
"We're both mobile; we're both agile," he said. "It's not like either one of us has an extremely better arm."
Mason said his decision can change by the day, or even by the play.
With the injury to Rutz,
Sophomore cornerback Jamie Harris will sit out the Jayhawks' season opener against Ball State for violation of team policy.
Johner said he had to prepare differently.
Harris started eight games in 1995 and is listed No. 1 on Kansas' preseason depth chart at right cornerback.
SECTION B
Mason said freshman Mitch Bowles would take
Jayhawks face tough schedule in Big 12 season
By Evan Blackwell Kansan sports writer
Kansan sports writer
See Football. Page 6.
Kansas basketball fans should have no problem finding the Jayhawks on their televisions again this season.
Kansas could have as many as 15 nationally-televised games on the 1996-97 schedule, which was released last week. The Jayhawks will also have trips to California, Hawaii, Chicago and Connecticut.
"We have the type of schedule that our fans should enjoy," said Kansas men's basketball coach Roy Williams.
The next big test for Kansas should come Nov. 25-27 at the Maui Classic in Hawaii. The Jayhawks will face LSU in the first round, and either Iowa or California in the second round. Massachusetts and Virginia are also in the field. Kansas last played in the Maui Classic during the 1987-88 season. This year's entire
Eleven teams that appeared in last season's NCAA tournament are on the Kansas slate, with the season opener Nov. 22 at Santa Clara. The Jayhawks defeated the Broncos in the second round of the NCAA's last season.
See basketball, Page 6.
New job brings new thoughts on sports
Welcome back.
I was the associate sports editor last semester. Maybe it was by the grace of God or the envelope of twenties, but I got a promotion and the associate part of my title got dropped. So I'm sitting at the grown-up table now.
Carlyn Foster will be taking my old position.
I'm going to dispense with all of the English 101 My-name-is-I'm-from-I-did-this-summer icebreaking garbage, except to mention a few changes in the sports section of the Kansan this semester.
But for now, let me tell you what
The sports page itself will have more color, more pictures, and when possible, more Lionel Ritchie — the greatest musician of our time.
But for now, thoughts went through my mind during this Macarena-filled summer.
USA Basketball, enough is enough. After America failed to win gold in the 1988 Olympics, the USA Basket Committee felt they had to prove to the world who is the greatest basketball country on earth. So led by Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, Team USA annihilated
any team that had the nerve to step on the same court in the 1992 Olympics.
OK, you made your point. There is no doubt in the mind of any clear-thinking basketball fan what country has the best players in the world. The USA Basketball Committee completely took the competitiveness out of men's Olympic basketball.
If you're a fan of professional basketball, I suggest you enjoy all the action in the coming years because the NBA has set itself on a collision course for a major strike.
Experts say other countries are catching up to the level of U.S. basketball. Yeah, maybe by the year 204 Argentina will put up 50 points against the Red, White and Blue, but until then give me Allen Iverson, Marcus Camby, Kerry Kittles, Tim Duncan, Stephon Marbury, and TIL coach them to a gold medal.
The day will come when owners eventually reach their breaking points — maybe when Shaquille O'Neal refuses to suit up unless he is awarded Southern California as a signing bonus — and have to give players like Jim McIvaine (Seattle Supersonics center making $35 million over seven years) less than multimillion dollar deals.
Every year, greedy players with sinister agents keep asking for more money and every year, spineless owners cave in to their demands. This trend must be stopped.
Until owners take a stand, salaries will continue to escalate, causing the NBA become a rich man's game televised solely on pay-per-view with $100 general admission tickets.
Although the Coca-Cola ads hulled me to sleep, the Summer Olympics provided me with one thought. In an age where lazy, mediocre and unproven athletes collect multimillion dollar contracts in the professional ranks, the Olympics Games reminded me of what athletic competition should be.
In fact, when you look around the sporting world, while everything else is declining and is far removed from its glory days, the Olympics show a different side of sports. They allow the fan to watch a lifetime of practice and commitment unfold. A lifetime of falling down and picking themselves up. The athletes have just one goal in mind — not a lucrative offer under the new collective bargaining agreement or a Nike shoe contract, but just a simple medal which hangs around the neck.
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I'll take one Kerri Strug or Dan O'Brien over 200 Derrick Colemans or Michael Irvins.
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