6B
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2004
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Amazones
The Women MasterDrummers of Guinea
Rivalry intensifies as teams struggle
thriller. Two years later, it was a 49-13 rout.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
And last year, Kansas State won 38-9 at Nebraska — the Wildcats' first victory there since 1968.
MANHATTAN — For two teams accustomed to dominating the Big 12 North, Saturday's matchup between Kansas State and Nebraska will have an entirely different set of stakes.
Both are fighting to salvage their seasons.
Nebraska still controls its destiny in the Big 12 North but is just two weeks removed from a 70-10 loss to Texas Tech, its worst loss in school history.
The Wildcats are off to only their second 2-4 start since Bill Snyder's arrival in 1989, and have lost three straight games to open the Big 12 season.
For the first time since 1968, neither team enters the game in the top 25. It will be the first nontelevised matchup since 1992.
"Those are all factual things, and they change the perception of the game," Kansas State coach Bill Snyder said Tuesday. "But when you talk about the young people that will get between the lines Saturday, I don't think anything is different."
Kansas State and Nebraska have combined to win six of eight Big 12 North championships.
"It goes back a long ways," Wildcats center Mike Johnson said. "It's the same feeling as it always is when you play Nebraska. The rivalry is the same as it always is."
Nebraska and Kansas State rank first and second, respectively, in the Big 12 in victories, and have combined to win three conference titles. They are the only two schools to
But the rivalry is also relatively new, built on less than a decade's worth of games. Since Kansas State snapped the Huskers' 29-game winning streak in 1998, Snyder said, the matchup has taken on new meaning.
reach bowl games every season since the league's inception in 1996.
"To beat them my first year is probably one of my best memories," said tight end Brian Casey, who was a freshman in 2000. "We got the ball and drove down and got a touchdown, then they got the ball back and it started snowing again. It was a great atmosphere."
"Maybe after we won a ball game, finally, it all of a sudden became a little more of interest to youngsters at Nebraska," he said. "Maybe that heightened the possibility it could become a rivalry game."
Nebraska is now the team trying to snap a losing streak, having dropped the last two games in the series and the last two played in Manhattan.
In 2000 the Wildcats rallied to beat Nebraska in a snowy 29-28
And while both teams have uncharacteristically slipped out of the national picture this year, one recent trend hasn't changed for the Wildcats.
"We expect to beat them now," Casey said. "Before I got here, we didn't expect to beat them. Now we have the confidence to beat Nebraska."
Rooting for players on down and out
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BIDDING FOR BELTRAN
Houston fans are making no secret of how badly they want to keep Carlos Beltran on the Astros.
In addition to the "Beltran for President" signs sprinkled around Minute Maid Park the last three games of the NLCS, one fan brought an oversized check, the kind that goes to the winner of a lottery or a golf tournament.
It was made out to the free agent-to-be for $200 million, with the memo saying it covered his salary from 2005-2012. And it was check No. 015, keeping his jersey number in mind.
A caller to a radio station suggested having 500,000 fans each donate $100, giving Astros owner Drayton McLane another $50 million to add to his eventual offer. The talk-show host countered by suggesting they ask for $10 a year because it would be easier to get and still would provide McLane a $5 million buffer each season.
Astros general manager Gerry Hunsicker hadn't seen or heard about any of those grass-roots efforts to retain Beltran, but he had another for the list: Before Game 4, some fans were passing around a hat labeled "Keep Beltran fund."
city in the United States is more enthusiastic, more energetic than our fans." Hunsicker said. "When they see a player like Carlos Beltran, they're obviously excited."
The Astros are hoping the fans' reaction and the team's success will help Beltran see beyond the dollar signs.
"This city is not recognized for its fan support, but no other
CARPENTER PROGRESS
Throughout the postseason, the Cardinals have played down any progress made by 15-game winner Chris Carpenter, sidelined since Sept. 18 with nerve damage to his right biceps.
But if they make it to the World Series, there's a chance he could be available to pitch.
Carpenter threw 26 pitches off the bullpen mound on yesterday. If the Cardinals avert elimination in Game 6 tonight, he's scheduled to throw again on tomorrow.
If healthy, Carpenter would have been the Cardinals' No. 1 starter in the playoffs. He had a remarkable comeback season after missing 20 months because of a pair of shoulder operations, working seven or more innings in 16 of his 28 starts.
The number of pitches in yesterday's session was unusual because Carpenter threw a ball on what was supposed to be his last toss. So he wanted to end the workout on a good note.
GREENE: Freshmen should have to wait to see the games
CONTINUED FROM 1B
voucher and those of about 12 friends, slipping them under the window slot and getting sets of tickets in return? What was wrong with this?
OK, we could live with the fact that the students lost a crapload of seats this year because our Student Senate is completely useless and stupid.
Why did the athletics department have to add all the stress by needing to enter students' ID numbers into a computer? What does this accomplish? Anyone? Anyone?
Redeeming vouchers should be a one-minute process. Period.
4) Why do freshmen even need tickets?
The student section should
be broken into three smaller sections. The best seats should go to seniors, then the middle level to juniors and the nosebleed seats to sophomores. KU students should pay their dues on campus for a year before being allowed to sit in the student section. Besides, what do freshmen contribute to campus anyway? I'd take away tickets for fifth-year seniors as
well. If you haven't gotten your fill of KU basketball in four years, then that's just too bad.
Either way, something's got to change. If it doesn't, the Jan. 24-25 redemption period for Texas and Missouri could be armageddon. Take cover.
Greene is a Vernon Hills, Ill. senior in journalism