Tuesday, October 19, 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 5
Early numbers indicate St. Louis playoff-bound
The Associated Press
ST. LOUIS — The unbeaten St. Louis Rams meet or exceed the profile of a playoff team, and coach Dick Vermell has the numbers to prove it.
A list of weekly statistical goals and objectives covers nearly an entire wall of a second-floor meeting room at Rams Park, with goals achieved highlighted in yellow. Right now, the board is glowing.
The same goes for the season goals, based on the production of the winning team in every game last year. The most glaring is their average score of 36-12. Playoff teams last season won with a 24-19 average.
"I study playoff teams; I know what their numbers are." Vermeil said Monday, a day after the Rams exceeded last year's victory total with a 41-13 victory against the Atlanta Falcons. "Our profile right now is equivalent to a very fine playoff team."
Here are a few Vermeil-generated numbers to crunch:
Playoff teams won nine of 12 season openers last year, and the Rams beat Baltimore 27-10 this year. Playoff teams were 7-1 at home, and thus far the Rams are 3-0. Playoff teams convert turnovers to touchdowns, and the Rams entered last week second in the NFL, in that category.
Critics would say the Rams' startling success is largely a product of their schedule. Their first five victims are a combined 8-21.
Beside beating the Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals, they've swept Atlanta, which went to the Super Bowl last year, and ended a 17-game losing streak to the San Francisco 49ers.
it didn't hurt the Rams that the Falcons were without franchise back Jamal Anderson for both games, or that the 48ers quarterback Steve Young was sidelined with post-concussion syndrome two weeks ago when the Rams dispatched them 42-20.
Vermeil's conclusion: "I don't think those five wins are a fluke."
Commentary
Injuries cause quarterback shuffle
NFL reserves strive to fill in for starters sitting on sidelines
By Dave Goldberg
The Associated Press football writer
Dan Marino leaves and Damon Huard plays just fine as his replacement. Same for Jay Fiedler in place of Mark Brunell. Even Brian Griese has found new life and Dave Brown is back for a while.
Such is the way of the NFL, where Kurt Warner can come out of the Arena League and lead the downtrodden St. Louis Rams to five straight wins at the start of the season.
Nonetheless, there is reason for concern in a sport in which one position plays so prominent a role. With the season one-third complete, 14 of the 31 first-string quarterbacks have been injured — some temporarily, some for the season and one perhaps for his career.
Marino completed one pass Sunday in New England. He threw an 8-yarder on the second play of the game that made him the first quarterback to surpass 60,000 yards in his career. Then he left
with a shoulder, giving way to Huard. He won the game 31-30 on a 5-yard touchdown pass to Stanley Pritchett with 23 seconds left.
**Brunell, the player most responsible for Jacksonville's early success as an expansion franchise, bruised his ribs with the Jaguars trailing expansion Cleveland 7-6 in the third quarter. Enter Fiedler, a relative of the late conductor Arthur Fielder and a quarterback who has bounced from Philadelphia to Minnesota to Jacksonville in four years. Fifteen points later, Jags win 24-1.
Jake Plummer already was playing with a variety of injuries that have kept him from fulfilling the promise he showed last season. He broke his right index finger in a loss to the Redskins. Enter Brown, a one-time first-round draft choice run out of New York by Giants fans. Brown threw a touchdown pass that temporarily got the Cards back in the game.
Detroit's Charlie Batch, another young quarterback, back the game with Minnesota with a bruised right shoulder. The injury was not believed to be serious. In the same game, Jeff George took the lead for an ineffective Randall Cunningham. George nearly won the game for the Vikings and will start next week.
■ Then there's Brett Favre, who had pulled out all three of Green Bay's wins with touchdown drives in the final minutes. Playing with a thumb injury that caused constant pain, he had the worst game of his career in Denver. He completed 7-of-23 for 120 yards with three interceptions in a 31-10 loss to the Broncos.
Griese was supposed to be benched until Bubby Brister came up with a strained rib muscle. But he threw for 363 yards in that game. Coach Mike Shanahan declined to say if Brister or Griese would start next week.
Finally, Steve Young. He wanted to come back in the second half of San Francisco's game in Arizona Sept. 27 after sustaining yet another concussion in the first half.
Instead, he's missed three games now, and the unrelated Steinberges, agent Leigh and physician Gary, seem to want him to retire. The agent is outspoken; the doctor is guarded.
In his stead, Jeff Garcia has done decently.
Nor he 's not Steve young.
Nor he 's Damon Huard Dan Marino.
Golf, soccer women earn recognition
But he's not Steve Young
In a year of declining and emerging quarterbacks, only Kurt Warner has looked like a superstar.
NEW YORK— Juli inkster thinks that with a little work, soccer star Mia Hamm might make it on the LPGA Tour someday.
The Associated Press
But she knows Hamm is more interested in launching a women's professional soccer league before retiring to the golf course.
Inkster and Hamm were honored yesterday as Sportswomen of the Year by the Women's Sports Foundation.
Hamm, the most prolific scorer in women's soccer, was chosen in the team sport category. She helped the U.S. team capture the 1999 Women's World Cup before a record crowd of 90,15 at the Rose Bowl final. July 10.
Inkster, who won five LPGA titles this season earning a spot in the Hall of Fame, was selected in the individual category.
For Hamm, who has a 13 handcap, the next goal is establishing a women's pro soccer league after the 2000 Olympics.
"We want to see it happen, and 2001 is probably the best bet to launch it," Hamm said. "Hopefully, the success from last summer and the excitement for the Olympics will get this thing going."
Hamm isn't certain the women's pro league will be partnered with Major League Soccer. Unlike the NBA, which finances the WNBA, the men's soccer league does not have deep pockets.
"I hope it can succeed on its own," Hamm said. "What we don't want is just for it to be around for a couple of years. We want to make sure we do it right and get a solid foundation before we jump into anything."
Inkster, who won the U.S. Open, is enjoying her best season in 17 years on the tour. She once went five years without a tour victory.
After achieving her goal of winning the U.S. Open, Inkster won the LPGA Championship, to become only the fourth woman to win the career Grand Slam, joining Pat Bradley, Louise Suggs and Mickey Wright. She gained the final point for the Hall of Fame last month with a victory in the Safeway Championship.
The 39-year-old Inkster is vying with Karrie Webb for Player of the Year honors
Red Lyon Tavern
944 Mass.
832-8228
Taiwan Earthquake Relief Fund
KU Taiwanese Student Association is asking students, faculty and staff to extend a helping hand with the earthquake relief fund effort. KU TSA will collect donations and forward to the parties responsible in relieving people who are now homeless because of the earthquake. Please make checks payable to KU Taiwanese Student Association. The mailing address for KU TSA is
2500 W. 6th Street, Apt. #404,
Lawrence, KS 66049
(785)749-2541
The Hilarious Interactive Murder Mystery Dinner
7 to 9:30 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 28
Kansas Union Ballroom
Tickets Available in SUA Box Office
SAUCE
$10 w/ KUID $15 w/ OUT
(includes dinner)
LAWRENCE AUTOMOTIVE DIAGNOSTICS
842-8665
2858 Four Wheel Dr.
presents
TONIGHT & TOMORROW! Vietnam Vets for Academic Reform -KU Chapter-
presents A Different View of the 60s
Leonard Magruder - Founder/President & former professor of psychology
Remembering Beatnik and Hippie Days talk - plus 2 short films - Kerouac, Ginsberg, Burroughs, others (1 hr.)
Tonight, Oct. 19
7-8:15 p.m.
Big 12 Room - Kansas Union
Media and Campus
Lied about Vietnam
Interviews with Vietnam Vets,
a documentary by Mr. Magruder
Wednesday, Oct. 20
7-8:15 p.m.
Pioneer Room - Burge Union
with a 3-minute introduction to the new student organization and information on how to join.
STAND UP AND BE COUNTED
Alcohol Responsibility Week. October 18-24, 1999
Tues. Oct 19 Sex Under the Influence
Thurs. Oct 21 Comedy Improv
Fri. Oct 22 Haunted Hawk Nights
Sun. Oct 24 Community Festival
7:00pm
7:00pm
10pm-2:30am
1-4:00pm
Visitor's Center Hashinger Hall Kansas Union South Park
Sponsored by: Watkins Health Center, Organizations and Leadership Department of Student Housing, Panhellenic. Student Action Team. Center for Community Outreach. Wellness Campaign
Height
'51'
'52'
'53'
'54'
'55'
'56'
'57'
Get off the couch and look at the chart to see if you qualify
Height
5'8"
5'9"
5'10"
5'11"
6'0"
6'1"
6'2"
Weight
137-178
142-184
146-189
151-194
156-200
161-206
166-211
Weight
171-217
176-223
181-227
186-235
191-241
197-242
202-205