Inside Sports
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Sports
Wednesday August25,1999
Pro Football
Volleyball coach Ray Bechard, a NJCAA Hall of Fame Coach, prepares his team for the Sept. 1 season opener.
Section:
SEE PAGE 3B
B
The Kansas City Chiefs are showing signs of fatigue as training camp winds down in River Falls, Wis.
SEE PAGE 5B
Major League Baseball
Page 1
The Boston Red Sox acquire pitcher Kent Mercker from the St. Louis Cardinals in preparation for a run at the American League wild card.
SEE PAGE 4B
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'Hawks to battle lore of the Irish
'Touchdown Jesus among distractions
By Mike Miller
By Mike Miller sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
It's understandable that the Kansas football team would jump at the chance to play Notre Dame — no team in college football history has a more storied tradition.
The Irish have the best winning percentage in history, more Heisman trophy winners, more All-American players, more Hall-of-Fame players and more National Championships than any other school in the NCAA.
The field at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind., might be the closest thing to hallowed ground in college football.
"The team, the tradition, everything, it's impressive." said Kansas running back
David Winbush.
The field might be so impressive that it could be a distraction to the Jayhawks when they play against Notre Dame this Saturday. This will be the first trip to South Bend for most of the players on the football team and underthebelts the first
a teenage girl meeting The Backstreet Boys — dumb-struck and unsure of what to do next.
the game more difficult to prepare for if the same thing happens to Kansas?
"To step on that field with Touchdown Jesus, it could be tough," said coach Terry Allen.
"The intimidating facet is something that had to be talked about. It's important that you talk about it."
And the players are doing their best to approach it like any other game.
"It's one game on a 12-game schedule. If we lose, it doesn't mean it's the end of our season," said outside linebacker Tim Rowers.
"But if we win, it could help make our season."
Quarterback Zac Wegner acknowledges the importance of the game, but points out that some schools in the Big 12 Conference can be just as nerveracking.
"I don't see how it could be much different than playing in Lincoln," he said.
Which could be a saving grace for Kansas. Playing games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb., with 76,000 Nebraska fans is comparable to Notre Dame Stadium with 80,000 fans.
If Kansas does ignore being on the field and the crowd, the overall history of Notre Dame or being 17-point underdogs could
intimidate the Jayhawks. But only if they let it
"It's only going to motivate us if nobody gives us a chance," Wegner said.
Or the players could use the the environment to their advantage. The media attention, national television and the field; it could make the 'Hawks rise to the occasion.
"It'll give me more of a charge just to play on the field," said running back Mitch Bowles. "You know it's where guys like Raghib Ismail played — it's college football in the making."
But the most likely result from playing on the field at Notre Dame Stadium, may be recognizing the field — from when the Jayhawks watched Notre Dame on television.
"Every Saturday growing up that's what I did was Notre Dame," said right tackle John Oddetto.
"It'll be neat to be on the other side of the TV."
Edited by Brad Hallier
Top: Preparing for a photograph, Alex Nickel, 2-year-old Prairie Village, resident, gets some help from cheerleader Deanna Dayle, freshman, Kansas City, Kan. Children played games on the field and met football players during Sunday night's rally. Alex's father, Mike Nickel, said Alex would be a Jayhawk in the class of 2019.
Right: Kansas senior cheerleader, Erin Niblo, puts a Jayhawk sticker on Abigail Camp, 7, at the Get Ready Rollly Sunday night. The Kansas cheerleading squad interacted with KU fans during the rally. Photos by Nick Krug/KANSAN
Cheerleaders band promote crimson, blue for team,fans
By Doug Pacey sports @kansan.com
Kanson sportswriter
School hadn't started yet, but he was on the turf at Memorial Stadium in the heat and humidity practicing with teammates. He cuts right and pivots left to complete the routine.
But it isn't David Winbush or Zac Wegner, or anyone else on the Kansas football team. It's Brad Ashley, a trombone player for the Kansas Marching Band.
Ashley, Olathe sophomore, his band mates, the cheerleaders and the Crimson Girls have been practicing since early August and all went through their own forms of two-a-days at the same time the football team was suffering through its practices.
The band, cheerleaders and dance team are all mainstays of college football, but players and fans sometimes take them for granted.
"I don't think about the band the whole time (during a game)," said junior linebacker Dariss Lomax. "But when you get a chance to think about it, they do pump you up. They do keep you going. We need them, they're important to us."
All three groups are important to the fans, as well. However their efforts and hard work are not always appreciated.
But the band does not give up, and members continue to put in the hours that they do.
Most people don't realize how much work it is." said Angela Rahjes, Kensington senior. "We go through hard practices in hot weather, early mornings and afternoons."
New center gives' Hawks 'loud mouth and energy'
"Anything worth doing right is a lot of work," Foster said. "The kids believe in what they're doing, and they have a commitment."
Band director Robert Foster said that band practice lasted about two hours.
See GROUPS on page 3B
By Melinda Weaver
Kansan sportswriter
sports@kansan.com
The University of Kansas and Lawrence are a far cry from Jamie Shelite's small hometown of Medicine Lodge.
Medicine Department. Although she was an accomplished high school basketball player, Shelite's classmates and neighbors doubted that she could make it at such a large University with a longstanding women's basketball tradition.
ketball tradition.
But that didn't discourage Shelite from becoming a Jayhawk.
Shelite began receiving recruiting letters during her freshman year of high school, but she chose Kansas above all of the smaller colleges located closer to home.
If her high school success is any indication, she should do well at Kansas.
"They were the school that I had the most interaction with," Shelite said. "Everyone I met was overwhelming friendly, and it just stuck in my mind."
"I want to be able to achieve something that no one has faith in me being able to do." Shelite said.
women's BASKETBALL
Shelite. a 6-foot-4 freshman center, was the Class 3A Player of the Year as a high school junior for Medicine Lodge, a three-time first team All-State selection and a first-team All-Southwest Kansas selection for three seasons.
Shelite's interest in basketball began as a young child when her father pushed her to try out for volleyball and basketball teams.
She remained active in the sport through the summers, when
Shelite said she honed her skills through the instruction of her summer coach, Marion Heim.
"Summer ball is about three paces faster than high school basketball." Shelite said.
Now, Shelite finds herself competing for the starting center position under the direction of Jayhawks coach Marian Washington, who played a major factor in Shelite's decision to play at Kansas.
Washington needed to recruit a center to compete with Heather Fletcher and Kristin Geoffroy for the spot that Nakia Sanford left
when she graduated in May.
"Adding Jamie will make our inside game as deep as it has ever been in terms of depth," Washington said. "She's very competitive, and she's a good athlete. I think she will contribute and be a good player for this program."
Sheila tied she liked to describe her style of play as aggressive and hoped to bring energy and communication to the team this season.
"I have a lot of energy and a loud mouth," Shelite said. "I think a loud mouth is important because a team has to have communication, or they can't play well."
Kansas may steal pot of gold Saturday
We're going to beat Notre Dame on Saturday. I'll tell you why in a moment, but first, stick with me for a minute and let's talk about how this is a great game for the Kansas football program.
I'll be honest with you, dear reader. You've never read a Jonesey football column. Ever.
It's because I have never written one. But today I am breaking my silence on college football. And I'm starting off nice — the mean football columns will come later in the season.
Kansas faces Notre Dame this Saturday, in the Eddie Robinson Classic. So let's look at the implications of this could-be momentous, could-be disastrous opening football game.
Kansas is a basketball school. That's common knowledge. But one day, could
we be a basketball school AND a football school? Could the Get Ready Rally ever be as popular as Late Night with Roy Williams?
We are taking a step in the right direction by facing the Fighting Irish. More eyes will be watching this Jayhawk football game because of Notre Dame's huge following and once-
Seth Jones columnist sports@kansan.com
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great football program. And some football fans find the little Fighting Irishman character humorous. Like Mini-Me.
Football being such a big-money sport, Kansas looks at landing around a million dollars for making the trip to South Bend, Dn. In football terms, this will cover the cost of Zac Wegner's medical bills plus new pads for the special teams. Rumor has it there could possibly be a new water cooler thrown in as well.
And just when you thought football was all about money and illegal contributions from Notre Dame's alumni, the Eddie Robinson Classic tries to do something noble.
All the profits from the Classic, in its second year and named after the former Grambling State coach who had a 408-165-15 record during 55 years of dealing with college football players, is donated to a scholarship fund for high school seniors and eighth graders.
Money aside, more people will know Coach Terry Allen's name after this weekend, and that we do have a football program. If we walk out of South Bend with a win... watch out.
We could make a phone call to Bill Snyder and tell him that maybe it's okay to schedule a decent team. The momentum taken from the match could win us another game or two on pure adrenaline and attitude. Kansas might actually sell a couple "Kansas Football" T-shirts. Highlights of the game would be shown on the MegaVision non-stop during home games.
Notre Dame has a lot on its mind. It's awaiting to hear what will happen with the alumni who reportedly gave players, families and friends more than $35,000. They haven't proven themselves in a few seasons, and in their past four bowl appearances, they've come up empty. With smoke and mirrors they continue to pretend to be one of the top teams in the nation.
And we will win. We have competitors out there wearing the Crimson and Blue. Our guys are frothing at the mouth for a chance to have a story to tell the grandkids. A chance to beat Notre Dame on their own turf doesn't come around very often, especially when you play for Kansas.
Some circles have referred to this game as a "tune-up" game for the Irish before their big games the next two weeks against No. 8, bad-boy Michigan and then the next week at No. 23 Purdue. We might find ourselves being overlooked by the Fightin' Irish.
And then you can always count on the luck o' the Jayhawk.
Jones is a Mulvane senior in magazine journalism.