Thursday, September 2, 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 3
BIG 12 CONFERENCE
Snyder not fan of Big 12 title match-up
By Michael T. Rigg sports at kansan.com Kansan sportswriter
For many Big 12 Conference teams, every season is a journey.
For the top-note teams, the journey is simple: run the table in the regular season, win the Big 12 championship game, and end up in New Orleans in January to play for the national championship.
However, if Kansas State coach Bill Snyder gets his way, the middle step would be eliminated, thus paving an easier road for Big 12 teams to win the national title.
Last season, the Wildcats were on their way to play in the Fiesta Bowl for the National Championship before Texas & AM defeated Kansas State 36-33 in the Big 12 title game. While the loss sent Florida instead of
the Wildcats to face Tennessee in the Fiesta Bowl, Kansas State ended up playing unranked Purdue in a non-Bowl Championship Series game at the Alamo Bowl.
"Do I favor the Big 12 Championship game? I know that I'm supposed to say yes, but the answer is no," Snyder said. "I don't think it would be fair of me to say yes because of last year's experience."
Snyder: Not a fan of the Big 12 title game
However, Snyder is in the minority of Big 12 coaches who think along these lines. New Colorado coach Gary Barnett concedes that the system is flawed, but Barnett
also thinks that it is the best system for the conference. Also, Barnett said that the conference championship game is the closest thing that Division I college football will ever have to a national playoff.
"Everybody's clamoring for a playoff of more than one game, but I think this is the closest you can get to it," Barnett said. "You're going to have to play those games if you have a playoff anyways."
The financial impact of the climatic Big 12 game is also a factor.
Big 12 Commisioner Kevin Weiberg is happy with the system he has in place.
"I'm comfortable with our structure," Weiberg said.
Still, Weiberg and the rest of his conference staff are working on an agreement with several bowl games to make sure what happened last season to Kansas State won't happen again.
"We're continuing to work with our bowl partners to see if we can reach a mutual agreement on the selection process that would supply some certainty that the divisional champion will have a bowl opportunity representative of its regular-season accomplishments." Weiberg said. "We've made some progress on that issue, but I'm not here today to say we've reached an agreement. Clearly the atmosphere on this issue with our bowl partners has been heightened, and they are working with us to supply something there."
Still, Snyder is not amused by having his team come so close to a National Championship only to have it wiped out in the championship game.
"We got there last year and flat out lost the game," Snyder said. "The Big 12 is a great league, and you have to prenate every week."
Even for games Snyder doesn't think should exist.
Jayhawks to play 14 games at home
face St. Louis University in the opening round.
Continued from page 1B
"The Sprint Shootout is something that we hope to participate in every year," Washington said. "It gives the fans in Kansas City a chance to look at the men's and women's teams. We are glad to be a part of it."
The tough part of the schedule begins Jan. 8 in Manhattan, when the team begins its conference season against K-State.
Last season, five Big 12 teams competed in the NCAA tournament, and four others posted winning records. The conference will continue that dominance this season.
Washington, Says Big 12 North will be tough division
"The Big 12 Conference,
from top to bottom, may
ue the strongest conference in the country, "Washington said. "Our division is going to be very challenging. We always want to be a contender in the conference, and winning away from home gets harder every year. To be successful on the road in this conference, your players have to
1999-2000 KANSAS WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
Nov. 9 Exhibition 7:05 p.m. Jan. 8 at Kansas State 7 p.m.
Nov. 16 Exhibition 7:05 p.m. Jan. 11 Nebraska 7:05 p.m.
Nov. 20 at Houston 2 p.m. Jan. 15 Colorado 2:05 p.m.
Nov. 23-25 at Great Alaska Shootout Jan. 19 at Baylor 7 p.m.
Nov. 23 vs. Northern Arizona 6 p.m. Jan. 22 at Texas Tech 3 p.m.
Dec. 3-4 KU Credit Union Jayhawk Classic Jan. 26 Missouri 7:05 p.m.
Dec. 3 vs. Loyola Marymount 7:05 p.m. Jan. 29 Iowa State 1 p.m.
Dec. 7 at Creighton 7 p.m. Feb. 1 at Colorado 8 p.m.
Dec. 11 Mississippi Valley State 2:05 Feb. 6 Oklahoma State 2:05 p.m.
p.m.
Dec. 18 at Illinois (United Center) 1:30 Feb. 10 Texas 7:30 p.m.
p.m.
Dec. 21 Arizona 7:05 p.m. Feb. 13 at Nebraska TBA
Dec. 28 Arkansas State 7:05 p.m. Feb. 19 Kansas State 3 p.m.
Dec. 30 Sprint Shootout (Kemper Arena) Feb. 23 at Missouri 7 p.m.
Dec. 30 vs. St. Louis 5:30 p.m. March 1 Texas A&M 7:05 p.m.
Jan. 2 Arizona State 2:05 p.m. March 7-11 Bia 12 Tournament TBA
be mature and consistent."
Kansas forward Brooke Reves said that despite the tough conference, she was very optimistic about the team's chances this season.
"We have an awesome team," Reves said.
"I am extremely confident that we can do anything we want if everyone commits. To win in the conference, we have to stay together and work on communication. If we can do that, we will be successful."
— Edited by Chris Hutchison
K-State picks quarterback to fill Bishop's shoes
The Associated Press
MANHATTAN — With just nine days to go before Kansas State's home opener, Jonathan Beasley has
euged ahead of Adam Helm in the race to succeed Heisman runner-up Michael Bishop at quarterback.
"Beasley would
be the No. Iguy right now," offensive coordinator Ron Hudson said Tuesday. "Adam Helm would be behind him and then Jeremy Milne, with Ell Roberson fitting in there."
But that still could change before the Wildcats open at home against
Temple on Sept. 11, Hudson said.
"We have two weeks to go, and no way has anyone proved that they are the No.1 guy at quarterback." he said.
Both Beasley and Helm have had several years to learn K-State's offensive schemes. This is Beasley's fourth year under Snyder and Helm's fifth.
Beasley saw action in five games as Bishop's backup in 1997 before sitting out as a redshirt last season, while Helm did mop-up duty in nine games last year.
"I have confidence in Adam Helm and Beasley, in the fact that they know what's going on, so they can get us into the situations we need to be in," Hudson said.
He said Roberson, a freshman, still needs to become more familiar with the offense.
"If we're not getting what we want out of people, and if Ell continues to make improvements, then we will give him a shot," Hudson said.
One of K-State's projected offensive starters, Brandon Clark, could miss up to four weeks with a
Beasley: Picked to fill Michael Bishop's shoes
broken foot, the team said Tuesday.
And backup offensive lineman Ryan
Cummings could be out for the season with a knee injury.
"It really hurts. Brandon was doing very well," said wide receiver Aaron Lockett. "But, it gives other players the chance to step in and make an impact."
Cummings' injury hurts an offensive line that has only one player. Randall Cummins, who started every game a year ago.
Senior Damion McIntosh, who started on the defensive line last season, will see playing time on the offensive line as well this year.
"Losing Ryan hurts our depth," McIntosh said. "But things happen. We will have to play harder, and hopefully we will get Ryan back."
The Associated Press
Major league umpires lose jobs, strike deal with league
PHILADELPHIA — For 22
umpires, baseball's final message
to them yesterday was:
"Yer out!"
Baseball and umpires reached a deal last night in which the 22 umpires will lose their jobs, and the union will withdraw its lawsuit in exchange for a $1.36 million postseason bonus payment and management's acceptance of arbitration in the dispute.
U. S. District Judge J. Curtis Joyner imposed a gag order on the lawyers involved in the negotiations, but the terms were confirmed by two officials in baseball who were not at the
talks and spoke on the condition they not be identified. Both officials were updated repeatedly from the talks throughout the day.
The union conceded that the 22 umpires, whose resignations were accepted by the American and National leagues last month, have umpired their final games.
In management's view, their departures are permanent. In the union's view, they'll only be gone until an arbitrator orders them rehired with back pay.
Normally, the arbitration process takes several months at a minimum, meaning there's no way the 22 will be back this year.
The umpires will, however, be paid through the rest of the season.
The postseason money was a key issue for the umpires. Under their labor agreement, each umpire gets an annual $20,000 postseason bonus, whether they work postseason games or not. Multiplied by 68 major league umpires, it would come to $1.36 million — money the union could divide as it pleased.
Umpires sued Monday, hoping to get an injunction that would keep the 22 at work. Curtis scheduled a hearing for Tuesday, but instead pushed the sides to work out a compromise. After seven hours of dis
cussions, the talks resumed yesterday,
As part of the deal, the umpires' union withdrew its unfair labor practice charge filed with the National Labor Relations Board.
The deal means nearly one-third of the 68 permanent major league umpires will be out of work as of 6 a.m. EDT today. Among them are the American League's Russia Garcia, one of the game's most respected umpires, and National League's crew chiefs Frank Pulli and Terry Tata.
Also gone would be the National League's Eric Gregg, known for his 300-pound-plus frame, and Joe West, disliked
by some players for his aggressive and sometimes combative attitude.
In the eyes of many, the umpires brought this upon themselves. On July 14, the union announced 57 umpires were quitting, effective Sept. 2. They said then they feared a lockout and wanted to spark an early start to negotiations for a labor contract to replace the one that expires Dec. 31.
But the plan collapsed when 27 umpires, mostly in the American League, either failed to resign or quickly rescinded their resignations. Baseball then hired 25 umpires from the minor leagues and accepted 22 resignations.
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