Inside Sports
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Sports
Tuesday September 7,1999
Section:
The Kansas women's soccer team split two games in Utah last weekend.
WNBA
B
The Houston Comets started a dynasty in the WNBA after they beat New York Sunday.
SEE PAGE 6B
College Football
Page 1
Colorado State fans had to be held back by police after the Rams beat Colorado Saturday.
SEE PAGE 4B
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Sports e-mail: sportskangan.na
Stadium construction deadline nears
By Mike Miller
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
It's crunch time for the University of Kansas.
With Walton Construction Co.'s deadline for the completion of Memorial Stadium moved to Wednesday, it leaves the University of Kansas with a mere two days to prepare the press box and the scholarship suites for the season-opening football game Saturday.
"At this point, we're confident that they'll be done by Wednesday," said Doug Vance, assistant athletics director.
What remains to be done — installing chairs in the press row, installing televisions, networking phone wires and electrical outlets and
"We can use the facilities the way they are now," said Warren Corman, University architect. "It's just touch-up things that have to be done."
The touch-up things include: vacuuming the carpets; cleaning counter tops and washing windows; picking up trash; dusting; and bringing up tables, chairs, food, decorations and anything else that would need to be done to make the new additions to the Stadium complete.
If everything is finished by Sept. 20,
then Walton will receive $50,000 of the
$300,000 bonus that was agreed to last
June. What remains unclear is
whether Walton will receive other
$250,000, which would have been
awarded to the company had it finished a significant portion of the work by Aug. 31.
Both Corman and Vance were noncommittal, but Vance thought that Walton probably would get the money. "I'm sure that's the case," he said.
The $12 million project is supposed to pay for itself by revenue generated from the $22,000 to $50,000 a year suites and a $6 surcharge on ticket sales — but it could take longer than expected.
As of Thursday, seven suites remained unsold, and season-ticket sales were about the same as last year. Vance said that single-game sales were not included and were expected to increase as the season progressed.
But that's not what worries the Athletics Department right now. All of the attention is focused on finishing the stadium for the game against
California State-Northridge Saturday.
"There may be some scratches here and there, but it'll be an excellent facility when it's done," Corman said.
The press box and the scholarship suites are additions to a stadium that has undergone renovations during the last two years. The press box is one level — about thirty feet — higher than last year and now can accommodate 114 reporters, compared to 80 before. The scholarships suites occupy two levels in the four story addition and seat anywhere from 8 to 22 people. Both additions complete the University's makeover of the Stadium.
A $13 million renovation project that included the installation of permanent lights, infrastructure repairs, a new concourse and home locker rooms was completed last fall.
Edited by Ronnie Wachter
Ellie Halek / KANSAN
Kansas outside hitter Nancy Bell stretches to tip the ball across the net to her opponent. The Jayhawks
Morgantown, W. Va., this weekend, where they annihilated their competition and easily won the tournament title.
Photo by Matt J.
Daugherty/KANSAN
Volleyball team dominates play at weekend tournament
Myatt sets school record; Three Jayhawks named to all-tournament team
Don't expect the Jayhawks volleyball team to be invited back.
By Shawn Hutchinson sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Not with the way it treated the opposition last weekend at the West Virginia Tournament in Morgantown, W.V. The Jayhawks cruised to the tournament title, sweeping Maryland-Baltimore County on Friday and Oakland (Mich.) University on Saturday afternoon, and defeating host school West Virginia on Saturday night, 31. With the victories, the Jayhawks improved to 4-0 on the season.
"It was exciting for us to win the tournament, but it's even more exciting to me that we could win even though I still don't think we're playing our best volleyball." Kansas coach Ray Bechard said. "We were in and out of rhythm this weekend because we played 12 or 13 players a match. We're just trying to give a lot of people opportunities so it's hard to establish a team rhythm."
The Jayhawks hit a pretty good rhythm in pushing aside the Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers on Friday night, 15-9, 15-8 and 15-7. Senior outside outside hitter Mary Beth Albrecht led Kansas with 12 kills to go along with eight digs, with sophomore setter Molly LaMere had 29 assists and 13 digs.
Junior outside hitter Sara Kidd and freshman middle blocker Kyle Thomas also made their Kansas debuts on Friday. Kidd played in one game and recorded one dig, while Thomas played in one game and had one block assist. Neither saw action in Wednesday's season-opening victory against Missouri-Kansas City.
On Saturday, the Jaywhks began the day with another sweep, this time against the Oakland Golden Grizzlies, 15-8, 15-5 and 15-9. Kidd had career-highs in kills (8), aces (3) and digs (10). Junior Amy Myatt had eight kills and sophomore Crystal Walker chipped in with five kills.
"It was fun to finally get out there and play and get some of my nerves out," said Kidd, a James Madison transfer who ranked second in the Colonial Athletic Association with 330 digs last season.
Robertson will be a King for a year
See VOLLEYBALL on page 2B
By Matt Tait sports@kansan.com Kansan sportwriter
Last year, the NBA Draft had a different feel for Kansas fans. The anticipation of where All-Americans Raef LaFrentz and Paul Pierce would go created a buzz across Lawrence for weeks before the draft. Would one of them be the number one pick? Would they go first and second?
This year the feel was quite a bit different. The likelihood of a Kansas player getting picked was very slim, and the anticipation barely buzzed on draft night — that is, until the 45th pick rolled around.
The broadcast on Turner Network Television was nearing the end, and the hour was getting late. Too late for Kansas fans? Evidently not, because just after returning from a commercial, unable to even announce the selection before showing his mug shot, Ryan Robertson's picture appeared on the screen — as the 45th pick overall, selected by the Sacramento Kings.
"It was unbelievable," said Johnny Robertson, Ryan's father. "When they came back and we saw his picture it was unbelievable, so of course we all jumped for joy."
When it was unbelievable to most, Robertson did not think it was such a stretch. In fact, he didn't really think about it at all.
“It’s not something I ever really thought about because of the career I had,” Robertson said. “I wasn’t an All-American, but I was real excited, and I told my friends that if it was going to happen, it would be at 45 to Sacramento.”
Sure enough, it was. However, as Robertson said, because he was drafted in the second round, nothing was guaranteed. He then thrust forward to the next step — working out, playing well and earning a spot on the team. That spot became a little more attainable Friday as Robertson signed a one-year contract with the Kings. The contract will pay Robertson the league minimum of $300,000 and includes an option for a second year if the Kings so desire.
Robertson wanted to hire an agent and contacted Kansas coach Roy Williams who referred him to agent Mike Higgins. And even though there were no real negotiations for a second round pick, Robertson said Higgins did a lot for him, mostly keeping in contact with his dad so Ryan would know what was going on.
"I talked a lot with Mike and dealt with the team on that end," Johnny Robertson said. "They all think very highly of Ryan, and I think they saw in him what Kansas people saw in him."
With two steps of the road to the NBA now
Former Kansas basketball player Ryan Robertson drives to the basket. Robertson recently signed a one-year contract with the Sacramento Kings, who drafted him 45th in the NBA draft. KANSAN file photo
behind him, Robertson said he was prepared to go work hard and earn a spot on the team.
"I would imagine it will be a whole other commitment," he said. "The fact that it's a job now makes it a little more serious. I don't have to go to school anymore. I workout 7-8 hours a day, but I can do it when I want."
His father agrees that there will be adjustments to be made, but he is confident Ryan is ready to handle them.
"Now he's got to go fit in and play well," Johnny Robertson said. "He's a tough kid, and I think he'll do it."
Robertson's former teammate and current Kansas senior, Nick Bradford, agrees.
"People don't realize he can play two positions," Bradford said. "He's 6-5. That's big, and they know he can shoot lights out — I'm very happy for him."
Robertson joins fellow Kansas alumnus Scot Pollard on the Kings and several other former teammates in the league. Robertson said he was looking forward to playing with Pollard again.
"That'll really make my transition easier." he said. "Being in the same city with Scot will make the situation a little easier. He's one of my favorite people, and we're good friends."
Edited by Chris Hopkins
Robertson will report to Sacramento later this fall and will begin his quest to back up Sacramento point guard Jason Williams when training camp opens in October.
"He's what they wanted, and I think Ryan's prepared for the battle," his father said.
Local ballers could defeat women's pros
Welcome to the world the latest in sporting dynasties — the Houston Comets.
That's right, the Houston Comets (they play in the WNBA).
You know the WNBA. It's the women's professional basketball league that makes great commercials as long as it doesn't involve actual highlights from games.
You may not have heard yet, but the Comets just won their third straight title. That's one for each year of the league's existence. Three years, three titles. But still it's not big news compared with almost anything that happens in the NBA.
Even in this, the year of women's sports, the WBA can't muster more than a ripple in the great sea of American sports consciousness.
In all fairness, the WNA has done well selling both tickets and merchant
So why, with all this attention on women's sports, does the WNBA still inspire yawns from most sports fans?
Women's tennis is hotter than ever, boasting both parity and star power, and the Women's World Cup was easily the sports story of the summer.
dise. This season, the WNBA averaged more than 10,000 people a game and nearly eclipsed the 2 million mark for total attendance.
But as anchor-
woman Linda Cohn
pointed out on
E S P N ' s
Sports Center
Monday, the WNBA
finals were over-
shadowed last week-
end by college football
and the U.S.
Open
Derek
Prator
sports columnist
sports @kanan.com
The reason why is simple: If you like watching basketball, the men's game is far superior to the women's game.
Unless you live in a WNBA city or have a basketball-crazy teenage daughter, you probably don't pay too much attention to the WNBA.
It's true that John Wooden, a true basketball sage, has said that the best pure basketball in the country was being played by women's collegiate teams that stress fundamentals and teamwork.
And sure, there's nothing prettier than watching a perfectly executed Princeton-style backdoor pass. But isn't it so much better when punctuated with a violent dunk?
Basketball is the best sporting forum for displaying athleticism, and that's what we've come to expect.
High-flyers going back even further than Dr. J have ruined the experience of watching any basketball that is played below the rim.
As of yet, no WNBA player has dunked in a game.
Last week playing pick-up ball at Robinson, I saw a wicked alley-oop on a fast break. What would make me want to watch basketball on TV that isn't even as exciting as what I see at the local gym?
Which brings up another point. I would bet that if I took 10 of the best players at Robinson and coached them for a week, they could beat the Houston Comets in a three-game series.
It's not just that the athleticism isn't there, either. The WNBA suffers from some of the same problems that plague the NBA. Rough play and bad shooting make games a drag.
In the last game of the finals was a case in point. The Comets scored only 59 points, made just 29 percent of their field goal attempts and basically won the game at the free throw line, hitting 27 of a whopping 32 attempts. Doesn't sound too exciting, does it?
Sorry Houston, but I'm afraid this dynasty will be about as memorable as one of those Chinese ones... you know, the one a long time ago.
1
Prater is a Lawrence graduate student in journalism.
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