8B
Thursday, October 12, 1995
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS RAP
Jayhawks should get as much respect as foes
As a long-time loyal and devoted fan of Kansas football, I have been sorely dismayed by the distinct lack of support and often disrespect displayed for the team this season by sports editor Jenni Carlson and the rest of the Kansan staff.
I fervently hope that all you diehawk detractors, for whom even a 4-0 start and a national ranking wasn't enough, were paying attention Saturday afternoon. The Jayhawks played No. 4 Colorado, Jenni's favorite team ("Colorado deserves respect," Oct. 2), and Kansas won. The "Hawks didn't win ugly, or win lucky, or win by the skins of their teeth, either. They soundly defeated a very good Colorado team by playing great football.
Before anyone embarrasses him or herself by blaming Colorado's loss on the demise of quarterback Koy Detner, please recall backup John Hessler's record-setting performance against also-ranked Oklahoma two weekends ago. This week Jennil "for real" Buffaloes did face Kansas "Jayhawk-like defense," and Colorado came up short. It looks to me like these Jayhawks are for real on both sides of the ball.
I do not deny that Colorado deserves respect. If the Kansas football team had not had respect for Colorado they wouldn't have had a chance in Boulder. But I firmly believe that our own team deserves and should receive both respect and support from the school newspaper, whether they win or lose.
I expect that the bandwagon will become quite crowded now, as all the fair-weather folk flock to it, and that's OK. Those of us who have been on it a long time will be happy to move over and make room. We recognize, after all, the importance of fan support to the team. It's just too bad that it took some of you so long and so much to be convinced.
Maria Butler Lawrence senior
Kansan columnists have done nothing to help team
it by our standards? You bet they have. Have they earned it by your standards? Probably not.
Ha, ha, ha! You guys really stink.
The Kansas football team coached by Glen Mason, you know, the guy that you all consistently dog on, is 5-0. Have the Jayhawks earned
Two of your "sports columnists" should read the columns that they have written this year about our football team and its coach and decide to not embarrass themselves by writing another column again. The true thoughts of the Kansan's sports section really shone the other night when several students started to chant, "Screw the UDK" before the football team arrived back from Boulder.
If your two main column writers Matt Irwin and Tom Erickson write one column saying positive things about this week's win, then they are the true 'bandwagoneers' on this campus.
Congratulations to the Kansas football team. The men in our house have been behind you all year long, and although at times we had thought you were the underdogs, we were still behind you.
T. J. Barnes
Lewis junior
Jason Jeffries
Wellsville senior
Student takes a shot at being a pollster; wants to include 'Cats and 'Huskers
I definitely agree with Chris Austin's article last Thursday about fans making choices for the college football poll. I thought I would start sending you mine every week unless of course you were joking.
I am a very big college football fan, so here's my top 25.
1. Ohio State; 2. Florida State; 3. Nebraska; 4. Florida; 5. Southern California; 6. Tennessee; 7. Alabama; 8. Auburn; 9. Colorado; 10. Penn State; 11. Michigan; 12. Virginia; 13. Kansas; 14. Oregon; 15. Kansas State; 16. Texas; 17. Stanford; 18. Oklahoma; 19. Northwestern; 20. Louisiana State; 21. Notre Dame; 22. Texas A&M; 23. Wisconsin; 24. Arkansas; 25. Washington.
I don't really agree with your exclusion of Nebraska and Kansas State. They were undefeated last week just like Kansas, and they have kicked some but in the scoring column. I think the poll should have a lot to do with who a team plays but not 100 percent. I bet Nebraska could still defeat any team in the country. But, the Cornhuskers don't deserve to be No. I.
Aman Reaka Paola junior
Keenan says media created bad image of coaching style
The Associated Press
Blues coach on thin ice with St. Louis hockey fans
ST. LOUIS — In the process of trying to build a Stanley Cup contender, Mike Keenan has so alienated St. Louis Blues fans that he's afraid they are trying to run him out of town.
When the spotlight fell on the Blues' coach during the home opener's pre-game ceremonies for the Blues' 5-3 victory over Edmonton on Tuesday night, boos rained down. The man with the imperious, chin-high glare who has replaced all but three players on the roster since arriving in July 1994 was upset after the game.
"I don't know what the fans expect," he said. "I suppose they may have somebody in mind that could do a better job for them. It's very disheartening and very disappointing. I think it's very unfair."
Keenan said he never imagined the fallout from the dealing, topped off by the trade of fan favorites Brendan Shanahan and Curtis Joseph this summer.
"We had some popular players and they're gone now, but I think we have to get a grasp on the fact that they aren't here anymore, and we've got some great players that they can embrace," Hull said. "He's a great leader, and we have great players. Just give us a chance."
Brett Hull, one of the three holdovers, feels the same way.
Keenan said he was just doing what he has done at the rest of his NHL stops, and his track record — one Stanley Cup and three other finalists — shows he knows what he's doing. When he was in Chicago, he said Blackhawks fans understood why dealing Denis Savard for Chris
"There are a lot of value judgements made about hockey players and support offan favorites."
Mike Keenan St. Louis Blues coach
Chelios would help the franchise.
“There was a little bit of a reaction when I traded Savard but not like this,” Keenan said. “Not nearly like this.”
Keenan blamed the media for his problems. He said he's been portrayed unfairly as a heartless soul with no consideration for tradition or fan attachment, particularly after dealing Shanahan to Hartford in July for young defenseman Chris Pronger.
"They are obviously getting feedback from you people," Keenan said at his post-game news briefing. "I think they base most of their opinion on what's written or said in here.
"There are a lot of value judgments made about hockey players and support of fan favorites."
Rebuilding the Blues has been more difficult than Keenan anticipated. Last year, the team tied for third overall in the NHL but was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Vancouver, so Keenan went back to the drawing board.
Hull, Murray Baron and Basil McRae are the only players left from the pre-Keanan era. In the offseason, Keenan brought in free agents Dale Hawerchuk, Grant Fuhr and Brian Noonan
and traded for Pronger and Shayne Corson.
Keenan said he had to trade Shanahan, who makes $3.5 million, after Blues ownership told him to cut the payroll by $3 million. He cut ties with Joseph, who was seeking $2.5 million a season.
"The toughest trade I had to make was Brendan Shanahan, but he makes $3.5 million, and we needed more hockey players with a reduced budget," Keenan said. "That's the only way I could figure it out. I've cut $11.5 million in salaries by removing 17 hockey players, including a couple of stars, and tried to build the best hockey club I could with the money I was given."
Keenan believes this year's team is much better than last year's and defended the newcomers after the home opener.
"Chris Pronger, tonight, in my opinion, dominated the game," Keenan said. "Shayne Corson was a very dominating player, so was Hawerychuk, as was Noonan. Courtnall was very important to us. I don't think you're giving any of us a chance."
Fuhr, who's wearing Joseph's No. 31 jersey, nearly was jeered off the ice when he allowed five goals on 12 shots in a Sept. 24 preseason game. Boos were mixed with cheers when he was introduced on Tuesday and he was booed again after allowing an early goal.
"If he can't play goal, I'll be surprised," Keenan said. "What he's showed in the last four games, he couldn't be any worse than the goaltending we had a year ago."
Hull said Fuhr doesn't deserve the heat, either.
"I think the fans have to lighten up a little bit on Grant," Hull said. "I think they should either apologize to him with a nice cheer next game at home or just get off his back."
NHL: Results and standings from last night's games. Page 2.
Use the Kansan Classifieds — They Work!
Professor Cynthia Willett (Department of Philosophy) will be signing copies of her new book Maternal Ethics and Other Slave Moralities Thursday October 12,7:30