Inside Sports
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Sports
Tuesday
October 5, 1999
Section:
B
Page 1
Denver Broncos' All-pro running back Terrell Davis will miss the rest of the season because of a knee injury.
Playoff Preview
SEE PAGE 2B
Boston, New York, Cleveland and Texas will battle for the American League championship.
SEE PAGE 4B
In Trouble?
Missouri had to wait another day to see if infractions would be placed on its men's basketball program.
SEE PAGE 2B
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
Contact the Kansan
Sports Desk:
Sports Fax:
Sports e-mail:
(785) 864-4810
(785) 864-0391
sports@kansan.com
Golf no longer a snoozing aid for TV junkie
when I was 14 years old, my Grandpa bought me a set of golf clubs.
I had spent the better part of my youth hitting an assortment of balls — tennis balls, baseballs, raquetballs and the occasional Wiffle ball.
But for some reason, I just couldn't hit that little white golf ball.
Lots of my friends played golf, and they were all good. But not me. Even on the simplest course. I couldn't make a single par.
I soon learned that I didn't have the temperament to continue trying to learn the game (golf clubs being expensive and surprisingly easy to break against a tree).
So golf and I parted ways, never to meet again, or so I thought.
No, I haven't decided to buy another set of clubs and give my golf swing another try.
My situation is much more curious.
I'm a TV golf player.
I'm a TV golf junkie.
Derek
It started innocently enough. On a weekend afternoon several years ago while I was half-dozing on the
Prater sports columnist sports@kansan.com
couch, I turned to a random golf tournament because nothing else was on TV.
A slight breeze was blowing through my window, and the announcers' soft and rhythmic voices soon had me napping away.
Some people like to listen to tapes of ocean sounds or jazz when they nap — I listened to golf.
No more nap time. I can't get enough of the sport that previously had made me either angry or sleepy.
What was it that woke me from my slumber and soured my interest in golf?
But then a funny thing happened. I actually started watching golf while I was watching golf.
But it's more than just Tiger and his aggressive game and intriguing personality. In fact, I'm more a fan of the announcers than the players.
The obvious answer would be Tigernania, and I'd be lying if I said that the beginning of my golf jones didn't roughly correlate with Tiger winning the last of his three U.S. Amateur titles.
I like the way they deconstruct each shot and every play. The minutia of detail behind the game makes it come alive.
Johnny Miller is by far my favorite golf announcer. He's eloquent, intelligent and, most importantly, candid — sometimes to the point of cruelty.
point of a dress. And I swear that at the Ryder Cup he said that Tiger needed to play a controlled muffburger.
inductor. I had never heard of a muffburger. But I love the way it sounds, and when Tiger made his stroke it seemed an apt description.
his strokes. Golfing is great. Its frivolity provides a nice contrast to the snobbery often associated with the game.
attered with the wind.
I loved it the first time I heard a golfer scream at his ball like he was training a dog. "Sit. Come on baby, SIT!"
My favorite was when I was caddying for a friend of mine, and he cajoled an approach shot. "Snuggle, baby, snuggle."
That used to be what I did to a pillow when golf was on TV.
Now I revel in the intricacies and the goofiness of this great game.
Prater is a Lawrence graduate student in journalism.
Kansas quarterback Dylen Smith launches a pass downfield in the second half of Saturday's game against Southern Methodist. Only 24,700 fans were on hand as the Jayhawks defeated the Mustangs 27-9. Photo by Aaron Lindberg/KANSAN
Plenty of good seats still available
By Mike Miller
Kansan sportswriter
Kansas' 27-9 win Saturday against Southern Methodist had a little bit of everything — big hits, big plays and a come-from-behind win — but there weren't many fans at Memorial Stadium to enjoy it.
Only 24,700 fans attended Saturday's game, filling less than half of the stadium's 50,250 capacity. The lack of interest could be attributed to the 48-degree temperature and dreary weather, but it was curious given the game's importance.
Favored to win, the Jayhawks played a winless team and were trying to end a two-game losing streak. Coach Terry Allen called the homecoming game a must-win.
Fan support looked to be at a premium. Instead, it was the lowest attendance for a homecoming game since 1988 when the Javhawks finished the season 1-10.
"At least there were some people there," defensive Dion Rayford said.
"At first there wasn't anybody there, then it helped a little bit to see more and more faces."
Rayford thought the rest of the fans must be good-weather fans.
Some of the die-hard fans, such as the students who are members of the H.A.W.K., Helping Athletics Win Kansas, club, usually attend home games in droves. It had 120 members at Kansas' first game and 100 at the San Diego State game, but only 60 attended Saturday's game.
"I think the weather kept a lot of people
away in general," said Michael Henry, H.A.W.K. Club president. "And to a certain extent, winning brings people out."
The cold weather and the Jayhawks' 13 record entering the game might be the biggest reasons why the fans stayed away, but Allen was grateful to those who did attend.
"We knew the people here today were our real fans." he said.
A variety of injuries have decimated Kansas' skill positions. Running back David Winbush, who bruised the medial collateral ligament in his left knee, is questionable for Saturday's game against Kansas State. Back-ups Mitch Bowles, who injured his right knee last Saturday, and Henri Childs, who left the game with turf toe, are probable.
Wide receiver Termaine Fulton, who has missed three games with a high ankle sprain will practice this week, but is questionable for Saturday. Wide-out Eric Patterson, who did play Saturday because of an ankle sprain, is probable for Saturday, but Kansas is still waiting on medical clearance for wide receiver Byron Gasaway, who broke his jaw during the preseason. Allen said that if Gasaway could not play Saturday, he would probably be listed as a redshirt this season.
Tight end Jason Gulley, who is recovering from knee surgery, is probable for Saturday's game, as are defensive backs Chad Coellner and Andrew Davison, both of whom injured their groins.
Edited by Matt James
Varsity team glides into ninth place at first regatta
By Shawn Linenberger
sports@kansan.com
The first varsity eight team finished ninth out of 21 teams with a time of 13 minutes, 39.1 seconds. The second varsity eight finished with a time of 140.6, placing 14th.
The Kansas rowing team went into the Head of the Ohio Regatta Saturday near Pittsburgh looking to improve on last year's finishes. Mission accomplished.
varsity eight rower. "It was a good start to the season."
Kansas' first varsity eight team finished 30 seconds behind first-place Virginia, last year's NCAA runner-up. Defending national champion Brown finished second.
Kansas placed third out of four teams in the H.J. Heinz Exhibition Sprint Race. The Jayhawks finished 6.6 seconds behind sprint champion Brown with a time of 1:52.4.
"We expected a lot from ourselves," said Risa Petty, first
The Jayhawks' entry in the Second-Level Varsity division won their race with a 16:09.9 time.
Kansas has three weeks to prepare for the largest boat race in the world, the Head of the Charles Regatta, near Boston on Oct. 23 and 24.
"Across the board, we did well," Kansas coach Rob Catloth said. "Our top boats did more favorably than last year."
- Edited by Ronnie Wachter
KANSAS ROWING RESULTS
Open Eights division:
First varsity eight finished ninth of 21 boats with at time of 13:39.1.
Second varsity eight finished 14th with a time of 14:06.9.
Second-Level Varsity division:
Kansas B boat finished first of 25 boats with a time of 16:09.9.
Kansas A boat finished 10th with a time of 16:26.5.
Heinz Sprint race:
Kansas finished third of four boats with a time of 1:52.4.
First division open fours:
Kansas finished eighth of 29 boats with a time of 15:43.3.
Women's Youth sign.
Kansas finished ninth of 24 boats with a time of 15:46.9.
Second division open fours:
Kansas A finished 12th of 28 teams with a time of 17:51.1.
Kansas B finished 14th with a time of
Kansas B finished 14th with a time of 17:20.3
Kansas C finished 22nd with a time of 18.15.7.
Women's Youth Fours division:
Kansas A finished sixth of 21 boats
with a time of 16:02.8.
Kansas B finished 11th with a time of
16:40.4.
Kansas tennis player
Sebastian Libertino
returns a backhand
hit. Libertino won all
three of his matches
first weekend.
Photo by Kate
Levenson/KANSAN
Kansas strong in one tournament, last in one
By Melinda Weaver sports@kansan.com Kansan sportswriter
It was a tale of two tournaments as Kansas men's tennis fielded teams at Tulsa and Stanford this weekend.
At the seventh annual Hurricane Invitational in Tulsa, Okla., Kansas won 11 of 25 matches as coach Mark Riley used the tournament to experiment with the positions in which his players competed.
"I played different doubles teams every day." Riley said. "I
On the first day of the tournament, Kansas started slow, winning only two of eight matches against Arkansas.
was just trying to see who could work well together."
Against Southern Methodist on Saturday, things went much better. Kansas won its first doubles matches and also built on a strong first-day performance in Flight B matches.
In Sunday's final round, Kansas won only four of nine against Oklahoma State, but Flight B continued to play well.
"Overall, I was pleased with
the effort." Riley said.
Kansas did not gel with the new
At Stanford, the story was much different.
Rodrigo Echagaray, Alex Barragan, Julia Sidorova and Brooke Chiller competed with 16 teams in the inaugural coed college tennis championship, which had a different format than standard college tournaments.
Matches were played in one set to six points for women's singles and doubles, men's singles and doubles and mixed doubles. The points were combined for the team score.
format, losing to second-seeded Mississippi in the first round 30-13. In the consolation rounds, Kansas lost to Arizona State 30-21, California 28-17 and Illinois 23-22 and finished in last place.
"I felt that we were just as good as any team there, if not better, even if the results didn't reflect that," said assistant coach Ross Nwachukwu. "It was a combination of starting slow and not finishing the way we should have. If we create an early deficit, it is hard to come back from."
Edited by Mike Loader