FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 2004
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
3B
Kinder. gentler 'Kick the Kansan' to begin Monday
BY JONATHAN KEALING
jkealing@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWINTER
As all of my friends know, I hate doing something the same way as the person before me.
calls and Rick latest i.
expect- season,
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The responsibility falls to me this year to pick up a fine tradition and take on all you loyal Kansan readers in the annual fall competition, Kick the Kansan. This year things will be done a little bit differently. Rest assured, we will still give out great prizes.
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SPORTS COMMENTARY
Campus whipping boy Ryan Greene led this game last year for those of you who do not remember, were not in Lawrence or drank your way through fall 2003. Greene performed well enough, but certainly didn't kick with perfection. My goal this year: nothing short of perfection.
JONATHAN KEALING
jkealing@kansan.com
Well, how about one weekend of perfection? Or maybe a couple 12-15. At any rate, The teams I pick might give you a chance to pick an upset or two.
The process will be the same as last year. On Mondays, you will cut out the Kick the Kansan clipping from The University Daily Kansan. Pick the winners of the 13 chosen games, (oh yes, eager reader, that is a change from last year) and then turn in the picks by noon Thursday. Picks will be collected in the
Kansan newsroom, 111 Stauffer-Flint Hall. For those not fortunate enough to spend a good portion of your life in its friendly confines, Stauffer-Flint is between Watson Library and Wescoe Hall.
On Friday, the Kansan will feature my brilliant choices for champions and chumps. Pick more victories than me, and you will win a Kick the Kansan T-shirt as well as gift certificates for merchandise, meals and whatever else those hard-working promo people can rustle up.
Now, the part you've been waiting for. Below are the criteria I will follow each week in selecting what teams will deliver me to victory over you readers.
1. Kansas vs. its opponent — One of two constants on the list, I thought it was important to feature the home team.
2. Ohio State vs. its opponent — All right, all right, simmer down now. A very good friend of mine from back home practically begged me to include them in this game. Little does he know. I will get great pleasure in regularly picking against the Buckeyes.
3-8. One match up from each of the BCS conferences — As these conferences are supposed to represent the best college football, it seems appropriate that they will provide at least one good game per week. BCS conferences include the Big 12, Big Ten, Big East, Pac-10, SEC and ACC.
9-11. My next three favorite Big 12 matchups — Those of you who are counting will note Kansas is a Big 12 team and an automatic game each week. My favorite Big 12 game will be featured in the BCS section.
Therefore, we can run the next-best three games leaving us with no more than one Big 12 game missing when conference play begins. Surely a Baylor beating can be ignored.
Well, we've come to the end. Reader, please take no offense from my jesting comments. I am not the second coming of Ryan Greene, but rather just one man trying to amuse himself as he goes through the weeks and months here on campus.
13. Unlucky number 13 Will this prove to be my undoing this year? The thirteenth choice is my opportunity to introduce everyone to the world of Division III football. Whether it's my hometown school of Washington University or perhaps some other school I have not even identified, these should prove interesting games to try and interpret.
12. A mid-major game — Mid-major conferences are those not included in the BCS. Whether it's the Sunbelt, the MAAC or the WAC, one of these games deserves to be highlighted in the pages of the Kansan.
If you're lucky enough to win
Good luck to one and all. This should be fun. If ever you see me in a bar or at a party somewhere around town, please say hello. I want to be the kinder, gentler replacement of Greene.
If you're lucky enough to win — OK, luck may not be at all necessary — I look forward to sitting down with you and finding the method by which you beat me. Selected winners will be featured ir a column on Mondays.
Kealing is a St. Louis sophomore in journalism and political science.
ROBINSON: Freshman starting to adjust to life in the Midwest
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B
Robinson's new teammate, freshman forward Alex Galindo, played high school ball at St. Benedict's Prep in Newark, N.J.
Robinson, however, is the first Kansas player since Terry Brown in 1990 to come from the state of New York.
"I'm just trying to start a trend, and hopefully more East Coast players will come," Robinson said. "I just want to start winning championships and try to be the best player I can be here at KU."
At first reluctant to make the long trip to the Midwest, Robinson said he has started to adjust to life in Kansas.
"I've found out that people here are really friendly," Robinson said. "In the time that I've been here, I've just tried to fit in the best that I can."
"I'm just trying to start a trend, and
hopefully more East Coast players will come. I just want to start winning championships and try to be the best player I can be here at KU."
Russel Robinson Kansas guard
In trying to fit in, Robinson will also try to fill a large role on the Kansas basketball team.
A daunting task for a freshman, so Robinson looks forward to becoming a sophomore — by December.
Edited by Neil Mulka
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B
PRESEASON: Tour valuable to new players, offers more practice
"The three teams that would join the host teams would have been weaker teams," Keating said. "So the idea was to have the four host teams advance to Madison Square Garden."
Kansas opted out of Coaches versus Cancer Tournament two months ago, Keating said, because the ruling on the NCAA's appeal had not yet come from the judge. Because the team has a contract to play in the Maill Invitational Tournament next year, if the judge ruled in favor of the NCAA's challenge, the team would not be allowed to play in both.
"If we would have stuck with the Coaches versus Cancer Tournament, and the ruling wouldn't have come down in favor of a team being able to play in an exempt event every year, we would not have been able to play in any additional tournament next year." Keating said.
He said that the team wanted to take advantage of all possible scheduling options, so instead of
"I am more concerned about getting
to practice than I am to the games. We will focus on the meat and potatoes of what we are going to do this year so that when we go out there in October we are five or 10 days ahead."
Bill Self Kansas coach
banking on an unknown ruling, it looked to schedule a preseason exhibition tour.
"It was an easy decision," Keating said. "We have a contract with the Maui Invitational that was signed about five years ago, and we didn't even have a contract with Coaches versus Cancer, and we had an option
to do the tour."
He said they couldn't have waited on the decision and still planned a preseason exhibition tour.
"The tour will be valuable to us this year because of the young guys," Keating said. "Some years it is not as valuable, but this will help us in many ways."
Self said that this year was a good year to schedule a preseason tour because there are five freshmen on this year's team.
The players said they were excited about the opportunity to get a head start on the season. The veteran players said it was a good opportunity for the young guys to familiarize themselves with a new system.
"We're going to try to see how the young players fit in," Self said.
"It is good to get everybody together and figure things out and pick up ahead of the pack," said Mike Lee, senior forward. "We just want everyone to learn the basics."
With J.R. Giddens, Keith
Landford and Wayne Simien
recovering from offseason injuries, Self said these extra practices would also be a good time for the veterans to evaluate their progress. The players agreed.
"It is the perfect opportunity to see if I need to re-evaluate if I'm ready," said Keith Langford, senior guard. "I am going to try to go all out."
In addition to the four games, the team will be allowed 10 practices to prepare for the tour. Self said that he was most excited about getting the extra practice time.
"I am more concerned about getting to practice than I am the games," Self said. "We will focus on the meat and potatoes of what we are going to do this year so that when we go out there in October we are five or 10 days ahead."
NCAA rules allow a team to practice a maximum of four hours a day, but not more than 20 hours a week. Additionally, the NCAA requires that the players be given a day off of practice each week.
Edited by Ashley Doyle
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