KANSAS VOLLEYBALL Walk-on Alisha Starnes is making her presence felt this year. Page 3B
SPORTS UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1985
SECTION B
Women deserve support
Today is my birthday.
Twenty-two years ago, my mother and father brought me into the world. Don't worry, this isn't going to be a sappy column about how I appreciate being here. Instead, I want to talk about another significant event on September 20, 1973—a tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs.
Billed as "The Battle of the Sexes," it was the first time man met woman in a professional game. And I've been told it was quite a big deal—so big that it was played in a sold-out
Astrodome in Houston and broadcast on national television.
That just goes to show how much sports events have changed in the past 22 years. If such a match was staged today, it might sound something like this:
ASSOCIATE
SPORTS
EDITOR
"Live! From Trump Plaza in
Atlantic City! It's the Nike Chevrolet
Coca-Cola AT&T Xerox Battle of the
Sexes! Only $59.95 on Pay-Per-View!
Call your local cable company to
sign up now!"
By now everyone might be able to tell that I'm not a fan of corporate sponsorship or the influence of Pay-Per-View coverage. But I don't want to address that subject today.
Let's shift back to the match between Riggs and King. She won—and from that day forward, men and women's athletics were equally covered and respected, right?
Wrong. Men's sports dominate our television screens, bar table discussions and society as a whole. Little has changed in the past 22 years, and everyone is to blame for it.
Look at women's tennis. Since King's victory, many stars have come and gone that could have been bigger than they were if it wasn't for some stigmas Americans seem to hold about women in athletics. They're too tough, they're not petite and sensitive, or, in the case of tennis great Martina Navratilova, they're gay.
Why should sexual preference be an issue? That's another subject I'll save for later, too.
The fact is, women's sports ain't cool man. You'dia?
And I'm just as guilty of it than anyone else. This is my fourth year as a student at Kansas. Basketball games are a big deal here. Yet I can count on one hand both the number of men's games I've missed and the number of women's games I've seen. That's something I'm not proud of and intend to improve upon before I graduate in May.
Kansas has tradition and power on both sides of the game of basketball, and it's a shame that more people don't fully appreciate it. If there were strong women's professional basketball leagues in America, players such as former Jayhawk Angela Aycock wouldn't have to move to Sicily to further their careers.
Several encouraging things have happened recently in women's basketball that create a glimmer of hope. Kansas and Connecticut played on national television last season, and the 1996 Women's Final Four is already sold out. Additionally, Prime Sports Network, ESPN and ESPN2 plan to expand the games they televised this season.
That doesn't necessarily erase all the stereotypes that women's athletics carry. Sure, it's fun to watch the grace of women's gymnastics and figure skating, but how many folks want to plunk down 10 or 15 bucks to see the all-female Silver Bullets play baseball? Not a lot, it seems.
So let's buck tradition and fear. Get out and watch Kansas volleyball, women's basketball or softball games. Heck, even help push to get better-established professional leagues for women in this nation.
The time is now.
So Happy Birthday to me. And Happy Anniversary Billie Jean. I'm sorry I wasn't able to watch you beat Riggs.
Men's basketball coach hopes to avoid surgery
Ailing back slows Williams
By Matt Irwin
Kensan sportswriter
Kansas men's basketball coach Roy Williams may look safe on the sidelines, but like his players, he is prone to injuries.
Williams, who has a back injury, may have been the least healthy of the Jay-hawks during the offseason.
The injury was severe enough that Williams was unable to play golf during much of the summer, although he continued to travel the country to scout high school talent.
"Basically, what I have is two discs rubbing together," Williams said. "I've worn out the spacing between the two. Right now the biggest problem I have is standing for short periods of time. If I have to stand for two or three hours at a time, that
"If anything happens, it'll wait until after the season."
Roy Williams
Roy Williams Kansas men's basketball coach
makes it very difficult."
So, does this mean Williams might miss time on the sideline like Duke men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski did last season?
"I'm trying to do a lot of stretching and lots of exercises so that surgery will not be an option," Williams said. "Hopefully by the time the season starts it'll be a lot better."
Williams' injury is different from the back injury that knocked Krzzyzewski out of all but 12 games last season. Duke had a 9-3 record with Krzzyzewski and finished
Krzyzewski had a herniated lumbar disk which put pressure on the sciatic nerve, Duke trainer Dave Engelhardt said. The pressure on the sciatic nerve, which makes the muscles in the back of the leg move, caused him pain and caused him to lose some function in his legs.
with a 13-18 record.
"Mine's not as severe as Mike's." Williams said. "It's very uncomfortable, but it's not something requiring anything immediate."
Williams' injury is similar in that it is an aggravating back problem, but he doesn't expect to miss any of the season.
Krzeyzewski had surgery in late October and tried to come back about 10 days afterward. Engelhardt said that he would have missed much of the season even if he had not tried to return so quickly.
But Krzzewski ended up returning after Duke's season was complete.
"I have a great chance of not having surgery," Williams said. "If anything happens, it'll wait until after the season."
Kansas men's basketball coach Roy Williams should be on the bench this season even though back pain kept him from playing golf this summer.
Linebacker plays life at full speed
KANSAS FOOTBALL
By Robert Sinclair Kansan sportswriter
Kansas senior outside linebacker Keith Rodgers knows what he wants out of life and appreciates what he's already experienced.
Rodgers started playing flag football in first grade and moved to tackle football a couple of years later. He began as a running back and also has played defensive back and quarterback.
"In seven grade we didn't have any quarterbacks," Rodgers said. "So my coach said that whoever could throw the ball the farthest could be quarterback."
Paul Kotz / KANSAN
While playing that position, Rodgers wore No. 11 as tribute to former Dallas quarterback Danny White. When he was a running back, he wore No. 88 in honor of former Dallas wide receiver Drew Pearson.
But Rodgers wasn't able to pick his number at Kansas.
Kansas senior outside linebacker Keith Rodgers sacks Texas Christian quarterback Max Knake during Kansas '38-20 victory on Thursday. His backfield partner sophomore linebacker Jason Thoren (38) is depending on Rodgers to lead the Jayhawks to a bowl game this year.
"Actually, I wanted No. 11 when I got here, but Ron Page had the number at the time," Rodgers said. "So I wanted the No. 6. Then Ashaunald switched from being No. 80 to No. 5. So they just stuck me with 16.
There probably are not many people who would call the 5-foot-11 linebacker sweet. His teammates have said that he is the hardest hitter on the team, and Kansas defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz agreed.
"I didn't much like it at first. I always attribute 16 with Sweet 16."
"He's a contact player," Hankwitz said. "He likes to hit, and he likes the game. I think he's going to be one of our leaders and one of our best players on defense."
In addition to looking up to professional football players, Rodgers also has been influenced by his family — especially his father.
"He and my brother were always the ones who, whenever I wanted to play catch, would take me out and play catch," the Shawnee Mission Northwest graduate said. "Whenever I needed anything, they were there. My dad tries to make it to almost every game."
“Initially, when you're young, it's kind of a shock when one of your friends goes down and gets hurt,” Rodgers said. “Now, although I don't like being used to it, I know that injuries are part of the game. Coaches have always told me you're less likely to get injured if you're playing full speed, so that's
to injury.
It would be understandable for his dad to have missed a game or two over the years, especially since Rodgers has played in every one during his Kansas career.
Not missing a game means avoiding injury — an impressive feat, considering the Jayhawks already have lost Ronnie Ward, Tony Blevins and Avery Riddle for the year
what I try to do."
Rodgers tries to go full speed off the field as well.
He feels that his career as an advertising major is on track because he has had an internship with Hallmark Cards during the last four summers. His work at Hallmark has included creative writing and alternative humor writing for products such as displays, wrapping paper and napkins.
Not only has the experience taught him the do's and don'ts of the professional world, but it also has given him an opportunity to grow professionally, he said.
"As soon as I saw 'Thirtysomething,' I decided I wanted to be an ad major."
Rodgers still is unsure where his life is headed and whether he'll be doing something with his ad degree or end up in the NFL.
"If the opportunity presents itself, then I'd love the opportunity to play, and I'd try to do the best that I can," Rodgers said. "But I'm not really banking on playing in the pros because I have other things to fall back on."
"That's how you have to approach this whole thing," Rodgers said. "If you're in your first game and you're looking toward your sixth opponent, you could overlook that first team and get blown out."
For now, he is content with trying to get back to a bowl game, but he has learned to take the season one game at a time
One of the players counting on Rodgers to lead the team back to a bowl game is Kansas sophomore linebacker Jason Thoren.
"He's a guy who's always positive, a guy you can always look to for encouragement when things aren't going well," Thoren said. "Great player, great athletic ability, very smart player. That's about all you can say."
"Makes a pretty good player when you put all those together."
Softball team takes new attitude to bat
By Dan Geiston
Kansas sportswriter
The Kansas softball team is using the fall season to rid itself of the negativity that surrounded the team last year and is preparing for a history-making year.
Last spring the team was plagued by poor communication between the players and
Kahsa sordali coac Kalum Haack. That breakdown led to a team collapse, resulting in the worst record in Haack's eight-year career at Kansas. The Jayhawks finished 19-23 and 5-15 in the Big Eight Conference.
This year both the players and coaches have gone to great lengths to rectify the situation.
Kalum Haack
"The reason we had the year we did was poor coaching," Haack said. "I didn't do a good job in getting them ready to play. It was a long season and one I don't want to
go through again."
Haack said he has changed his attitude toward the players, and he now wants a more open, positive relationship.
"Coach Haack is a very intense coach. He plays very intensely and teaches intensely. Last year when he yelled at us, I think some players thought it was disrespectful. Now that's changed, and it's just so much so fun to go out there and really only think about playing."
"There's a new attitude and new outlook for the team," Kansas junior first baseman Jacue Wenger said. "It's not just the players or only Coach Haack who was responsible for last year. Everybody was at fault in some way.
The Jayhawks used their new disposition, as well as some new talent, to easily win all five games at the Jayhawk Invitational this past weekend.
While the wins don't count in the standings, they are seen as a positive step for the spring season.
"Winning is not the most important part of the fall." Haack said. "Sure, we want to win, but what we want to get out of the fall game is to get the young players some
experience and improve our weaknesses."
Haack said he was pleased with the team's play during the weekend. The pitching, led by the four-win effort of freshman pitcher Sarah Workman, got better every game. The team's erratic hitting also is improving, Haack said. Last year Kansas finished with a .243 team batting average and failed to produce a .300 hitter.
Kansas is making sports history as the first Kansas team to take part in Big 12 Conference play. Texas Tech and Texas A&M will join the conference and will take part in Big 12 Fall Preview from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 at Adair Park in Kansas City, Mo.
The key to winning that championship
beats with the work that is done now.
"It's a lot of fun to be out there again," Haack said. "We will turn around last year."
"It will be exciting, but the biggest thing we've gotten out of it is a conference tournament again," Haack said.
A tournament could not be held in the past because of scheduling conflicts regarding final exams. But the conflicts have been taken care of, paving the way for a tournament to be held May 10-12.
New Kansas baseball coach Bobby Randall will answer questions concerning the tryouts at an informational meeting. The meeting will take place at 3:30 p.m. tomorrow in the Olympic Sports Film Room,220 Allen Field House.
BRIEFS
Tryouts for the Kansas baseball team will be held at 4 p.m. on Sunday at Hoglund-Maupin Stadium.
Walk-on tryouts set for baseball team
Any student with health insurance coverage is eligible. For those without insurance, information on student health plans is available at Watkins Memorial Health Center.
For more information regarding walk-on try outs, contact the Kansas baseball office, 864-7907.
Compiled from The Associated Press.
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