FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2004
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
5B
Nebraska will continue Hawk-husking streak
After the past two weeks, I must have hit rock bottom.
I've successfully proven that my football game picking skills can border on ineptness. You've beat me so many times I find new bruises every day.
No matter. This week, I'm going to make a comeback. I think I should set realistic expectations, though. My goal is to improve on back-to-back 8-5 weeks with a resounding 10-3 record. Pathetic, no?
tival
KICK THE KANSAN
Kansas at Nebraska
Well, I suppose its time to put my name on the line, one last shot at defending my reputation. With that said: this week's Kick the Kansas.
I followed through on my vow to ride Kansas through Texas Tech and look where that got me. Nebraska has won every Kansas-Nebraska football game for the past three and a half decades. Guess what? Nebraska's going to extend its streak to 36.
Pick: Nebraska
7 Ohio State at Northwestern
Remember when the Kansas Jayhawks rolled into Evanston, Ill., 2-0 to face the lowly
JONATHAN KEALING
ikealing@kansan.com
Northwestern Wildcats? Two weeks later the Jayhawks are 2-2 and the Wildcats are 1-3, their only victory coming against Kansas. Ohio State has managed a 3-0 record, with close records over most of its opponents. Ohio State will overwhelm Northwestern.
Pick: Ohio State
Pick: Ohio State Colorado at Missouri
Overrated/Underrated Missouri/Colorado. This was supposed to be the year of the Tiger in the Big 12 Conference North. So far, its been the year of the Buffalo. Missouri is just 2-1 after a nasty loss to Troy. Colorado, who was supposed to be bogged down by scandal and defections, are 3-0.
Pick: Colorado
15 Purdue at Notre Dame
the line and pick an upset, I get destroyed. On the other hand, Purdue beat its first two opponents by a combined score of 110-8. then came within eight points of losing to abysmal Illinois. Notre Dame is riding a three-game winning streak which includes victories over stout competition.
Every time I put my neck on
Pick: Notre Dame Rutgers at Syracuse
This game is a battle of Big East underachievers. Rutgers shocked college football and beat Michigan State, before losing to I-AA New Hampshire. Both of Syracuse's losses come from ranked team. The Orangemen have lost their two games by a combined 82-10. This game is tough, but Syracuse has done better, overall.
Pick: Syracuse #10 California at Oregon State
California is a top program, and getting better while Oregon State is 1-3 this season. California hasn't played a game in three weeks. Will this hiatus kill the team's momentum or be an extra chance for the team to prepare? Either way, Oregon State will have its hands full.
Pick: California
17 West Virginia at Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech usually produces a solid football program, but off-season scandals may have doomed this year's team. Quarterback Marcus Vick was suspended for the season after being found guilty of misdemeanor charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The charges stemmed from an accusation that he had sex with a 15-year-old. He and two teammates were found not guilty on that charge, but all faced the misdemeanor charges.
Pick: West Virginia #13 Louisiana State at #3 Georgia
Louisiana State is getting closer to its appropriate ranking, but it's not quite there yet. Its defeat at the hands of Georgia will push the team one step closer to the right spot. Georgia has proven to me that they are a legitimate title contender, even in the powerful Southeastern Conference.
Pick: Genrnia
— to borrow a Mangino term
an immature Jayhawk team in
Texas Tech at #2 Oklahoma
Texas Tech took advantage of
— to borrow a Mangino term
— an immature lavhawk team in
last week's victory. Oklahoma defines maturity with Heisman Trophy winner Jason White at the helm. Oklahoma probably would have taken over first place this week if it had played and won-last week, as Southern California struggled against unranked Stanford. The Sooners are just plain good.
Pick: Oklahoma Iowa State at #25 Oklahoma State
Don't look now, but the Oklahoma State Cowboys have snuck into the Top 25. Iowa State is better than last year. In a season when no one team is dominating in the Big 12 North, it would be a bad idea to write anyone off just yet, but, it's probably not going to be Iowa State at the top come November. Oklahoma State is challenging some of the premiere teams of the Big 12 Conference South.
A radio show I appeared on recently discussed the most difficult places to play in all of college football and A&M's Ryan Field is way up there at the top. The student body is proud and they have some of the best seats.
Pick: Oklahoma State Kansas State at Texas A&M
K-State may have been able to handle the atmosphere in the past, but this year they're just not good enough.
Pick: Texas A&M
14 Utah at New Mexico
DePauw at Chicago
Pick: Utah
Each year, it seems like some mid-major conference team tries to rock the boat that is the Bowl Championship Series system. This year, Utah has assumed the role, with a couple other teams vying for the role as well. New Mexico and its 2-2 record won't stand a chance when Utah comes to town.
This matchup is a battle of football titans. Wait, just kidding. Neither team is any good. Neither team has won more than it's lost. Flip a coin. Pick a name out of a hat. Unless you want to spend 20 minutes or more researching these teams, they're basically the same. Do yourself a favor and spend that time drinking a beer instead.
Pick: DePauw
St. Louis stadium might recieve upgrades Ram's star quarterback sick of losing games
Kealing is a Chesterfield, Mo. sophomore in journalism and political science
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ST. LOUIS — At the end of this season St. Louis Rams wide receiver Isaac Bruce will have played on the lightning-fast artificial turf at the Edward Jones Dome for a decade, and he has the unnigly turp burns to prove it.
"They're not permanent," Bruce said, displaying various spots of discoloration on his arms. "They'll go away."
So will the carpet-over-concrete field that most players hate, and soon, if the Rams have their way. The initial lease the Rams signed with the city, St. Louis County and the state of Missouri as part of their move from the West Coast in 1995 contained a provision that called for the deal to be revisited every 10 years. Each decade, the dome must be judged to be in the top 25 percent of NFL stadiums in several components, topped perhaps by the number and condition of suites and club seats, or else the lease reverts to a year-to-year proposition.
Now is that time.
The Convention and Visitors Commission, the landlord of the building, and the stadium authority are in the process of completing $4-5 million in improvements to the dome's 120 suites, according to Bruce Sommer, director of the America's Center. That's not enough for the Rams, who want perhaps 60 more suites in addition to a new playing surface.
There's virtually no danger of the Rams leveraging the terms of the lease for another move. Both sides report no animosity in discussions. The Rams say simply that they want the best facility possible.
"I don't think anybody has that interest," Sommer said of a possible departure. "I don't believe they have an interest in leaving and we sure don't have an interest in them leaving."
The Rams have become entrenched in what has long been described as a baseball town. Since they arrived, every regular-season game has been sold out.
"This is not an escape clause," said Bob Wallace, the Rams' executive vice president and general counsel.
What it is, Wallace said, is smart business.
"It's not that you dictate terms," Wallace said. "One of the things everybody was trying to do, and it was clearly the intention of the Rams and I think of the negotiating parties of St. Louis, was they didn't want to build a beautiful building and then have it fall into disrepair."
Wallace said Busch Stadium, the Cardinals' 38-year-old well-maintained stadium just across downtown, is an example of forward-thinking stadium management. Busch was among a number of so-called cookie-cutter facilities opened in the 1960s, and it's the last one still standing — although next season will be its last — because the team's new ownership has been diligent on upkeep along with cosmetic upgrades such as a hand-operated scoreboard.
The biggest problem for the dome landlords is that 17 new stadiums, counting the renovation of Lambeau Field in Green
Bay, have opened since the Rams beat the Carolina Panthers 28-17 on Nov. 12, 1995, before 65,598 in the inaugural game at the $300 million dome. In other words, the standards just keep going up.
"They have a preservation fund, they knew they were going to have to keep the stadium in repair," Wallace said. "But I don't know if anybody contemplated that much of a change that quickly."
Topping the Rams' wish list is a desire for perhaps 60 more luxury suites that could be installed in the now little-utilized north end zone. Presently, that area is used as an auxiliary press box but it was mentioned in the original lease as a location for potential improvements.
The Rams also have issues with the seating capacity of the dome — about 5,000 shy of NFL standards even back in 1995. And Wallace said the size of the dome itself and its concourses is not "top tier," although there's little that can be done with that now.
"In this period of time," Wallace said, "we're not even going to raise that issue."
Under terms of the lease, the improvements must be completed by March 31, although the Rams have given approval to an extension to July 31. The Convention and Visitors Commission would like the deadline to be delayed further to 2007, and Wallace said the Rams are willing to wait till then.
Replacing the turf would be the biggest thing players would notice. The Rams have a forgiving practice field at Rams Park,
constructed of rubber shavings, and they'd like one installed at the dome. St. Louis and Indianapolis are presently the only NFL teams still using the old, unforgiving, artificial turf.
"You pay a price for playing on it," Bruce said. "If they get rid of it I'd like to have a piece of it to take home with me. But I like the new stuff."
"You don't have the same feeling after you play on artificial turf."
The sticking point is an item in the lease that stipulates the grass does not have to be changed because it would hinder the dome's ability to hold conventions and trade shows. While the Rams are on the road the next two weeks Ace Hardware is holding its national convention at the dome.
The problem is protecting the field when the Rams aren't in town. Artificial turf can be rolled up and so-called field turf cannot under present technology.
Thus far, Sommer said the Rams haven't asked for a new field.
"They've mentioned it, but we haven't dealt with the issue," Sommer said. "I'm sure there are other things we're going to do, but all we know for sure is what we have now."
It's likely the field demand will be issued soon.
"The playing field is a big issue," Wallace said. "We want to replace it and we think it's a big issue for a competitive reason as well. That's a hard surface, I think it's terrible, and that's something we would like addressed for next season."
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ST. LOUIS — On most Sundays, Marc Bulger's mad dash to the end zone might have been viewed as perhaps a defining moment in the career of a young quarterback. His 19-yard scramble up the middle on third down split the Saints' defense with 24 seconds to go for the apparent game-winning play.
"I think he's playing exceptionally well," St. Louis Rams coach Mike Martz said. "He really did a great job in terms of responding to the challenge to move that ball downfield and get us in the end zone."
Instead, Bulger's heroes ended up as a mere footnote in a 28-25 overtime loss. And for Bulger, that's the way it should be. He's leading a 1-2 team, and that's the bottom line.
"I've always said all that matters is the record, and how I play doesn't really natter," Bulger said Wednesday. "Sometimes it's indicative of how a quarterback plays, but if we're not winning I'm not really concerned."
Bulger, who is 19-6 as the Rams' starter despite the loss, is saying the right things. He wants the team's fans to know losing hurts a lot.
"I know everyone's frustration, and we feel the same way," Bulger said. "It's our jobs, our livelihoods, and we want to win. It makes us sick to lose games like that."
He's doing the right things on the field, too, as evidenced by
his impressive early-season statistics.
He's fourth in the NFC in passer rating, threw for 358 yards against the Saints, and held his ground in the pocket against a defense that knew he was going to throw. The Rams called 54 pass plays and 15 runs.
Opposing coaches have taken note of the development.
The run was his fifth touchdown the last two seasons, so he's a bit of a dual threat too.
"He was running pretty fast," said wide receiver Isaac Bruce, who had a block to help finish the play.
Martz said Bulger was a bit stressed the first two games, given all that was put on his shoulders. Not anymore.
"He's shaking that off really well, and is on his way now." Martz said. "He's getting better and better and better. I'm very pleased with him."
Bulger downplays his 94.7 passer rating, which trails only Daunte Culpepper of the Vikings, Donovan McNabb of the Eagles and Brett Favre of the Packers, because it hasn't resulted in a lot of points. The Rams are averaging only 20 points per game and he has only three touchdown passes despite 915 yards in the air.
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