FOOTBALL Michigan opens the season with a big win, Page 4.
BASEBALL Taiwan wins Little League title, Page 4.
SPORTS VERSITY DAILY KANSAN
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY. AUGUST 28,1995
The NFL is back (finally)
SECTION B
The NFL isn't what it used to be.
Free agency and the salary cap have taken the tradition and loyalty away from franchises that once thrived on having an entire roster of "franchise players," not just one.
Yet football is one of only two major professional sports that actually has a collective bargaining agreement. That's enough for me to take more than a "passing" interest.
Kick Dan Dierdorf off the "Monday Night Football" crew, and we're in business. I understand Cody Glifford is available — broadcasting's first father-son team is sure to bring in the viewers.
But enough idle chatter and bad jokes. Let's get to my picks.
AFC East — 1. New England; 2.
Miami; 3. Indianapolis; 4. Buffalo; 5.
New York Jets.
Watch out for Drew Bledsoe. This guy has a great chance to become the quarterback of the late 1990s if the Patriots' defense can keep opponents to less than 40 points a game.
ASSOCIATE
SPORTS
EDITOR
Miami will be tough and, with the possible addition of Deion Sanders, could take the division. Indianapolis
makes a pleasant jump into the division's top three, but the PredictiBts are just that — old, slow and bad.
AFC Central - 1. Pittsburgh; 2.
Cleveland; 3. Cincinnati; 4. Houston;
5. Jacksonville.
Neil O'Donnell will bring the Steelers back to the AFC Championship game but not before Andre Rison and the new-look Browns make it close.
The Bengals should have enough to beat out the Houston/Nashville Oilers and Jacksonville.
APC West — 1. Oakland; 2. Denver; 3. San Diego; 4. Kansas City; 5. Seattle.
There is a reason Steve Bono was a backup for 11 years, and Marty Schottenheimer will get to find out why in what may be his last year as coach.
Denver and Oakland make this one interesting, with the Deion factor also making a difference. Natrone Means Holdouts will lead a sinking Chargers ship, and Dennis Erickson (no relation) has a great quarterback in Rick Mirer but not much else.
NFC East — 1. Dallas; 2. Arizona; 3. Philadelphia; 4. New York Giants; 5. Washington.
This division is a tough one. If Deilon chooses the Cowboys in this year's sweepstakes, brought to you by Nike, they should run away with it. But I like the Cardinals, despite the presence of Buddy Ryan, who still doesn't know any of his offensive players' names.
The Eagles and Giants always make great efforts, but both have major quarterback problems. Are the Redskins fielding a team this year? I haven't heard confirmation yet.
NFC Central — 1. Detroit; 2.
Green Bay; 3. Chicago; 4. Tampa
Bay; 5. Minnesota.
The Lions get the nod in the NFC Mediocre because Barry Sanders should be able to carry the entire team on his back.
Tampa Bay may get lucky, but the Bears again will have trouble scoring.
NFC West — 1. San Francisco; 2.
Atlanta; 3. St. Louis; 4. New Orleans;
5. Carolina.
If Cody is calling the game, I'm thefe.
With teams in three time zones, this division should be called the NFC Frequent Flyer Program. Instead, it will be very one-sided.
The 49ers easily will make up for the loss of Ricky Watters and Sanders with the best receiving corps in the world.
Now comes the easy part — an NFC team will win the Super Bowl. The trophy stays with the Niners, who will beat Pittsburgh by 25 or more. Maybe the NFL should make the NFC Championship game the Super Bowl and then let the loser play the AFC Champion in a consolation match.
Kansan sportswriter
By Erin Johnson
Rob Catloth drove through severe thunderstorms and listened to nothing but rock 'n' roll during the day and country music at night while driving 15 hours a day for seven days.
The Kansas rowing coach was on a mission to pick up six boats for his team.
Catloth left early on Aug. 4 for New Haven, Conn., to get the boats. Before reaching Connecticut, he had to pick up a new trailer in Indiana.
"It's just one of those things you have to do," Caldoth said. "I'd do it next week if I could get a couple more boats."
Catloth made the trip in solitude.
"I told people when I got back that you learn how much time you can stand by yourself," he said.
But Catloth didn't just pick up boats for the Jayhawks. He delivered nine boats to schools along the way to raise money for the team.
Catloth said only two or three boat companies in the country make rowing equipment, and it can take as long as two months to get the boats.
The Kansas women's rowing team needed new boats for its first season as an NCAA varsity team.
"We've never had a first year program. It's a new ground for us," said Betsy Stephenson, associate athletic director. The University of Kansas hasn't started a new sport since the mid-'70s.
Catfish faced problems on his way back. Besides navigating severe weather, he lost his leather bag that he "carries everywhere." The bag contained the triin's gas money.
It wasn't until he was 300 miles from Connecticut that he realized the bag was missing.
He had only $15 and a credit card.
"I had to do some creative gas buying for a couple of days," he said.
The leather bag was mailed to Purdue, where he was delivering a boat.
Kansas women's rowing team Rob Catloth with the new boats he picked up this summer. Catloth's seven-day journey took him from Lawrence to New Haven, Conn., and back.
Despite the problems, Catloth said the trip
had been worthwhile
"It was fun pulling it in," Galcolth said. "It was nice knowing coming across the country that
it was a new beginning. I knew there was no turning back. We had a women's rowing program."
Williamson balances sport and school
Senior takes charge in the classroom and on the course
By Spencer Duncan
Kansan sportswriter
At a time when many college athletes look to the money they can earn competing professionally, it is a special moment when athletes speak of their desire to get an education first and concentrate on their sport second.
For senior Lynn Williamson, golf is an important aspect of life, but receiving an education is essential to success.
Kansas women's golf coach Jerry Waugh has watched Williamson work at playing golf and earn a degree since she came to Kansas three years ago. He has seen how important it has been for Williamson to get an education.
"Lynn has just been accepted to the School of Pharmacy," Waugh said. "That was a big goal for her. I am proud she has done it while competing. She has worked hard, and I know getting accepted to pharmacy school was a big relief for her."
Succeeding on the golf course is important to Williamson, but she also realizes the hard work ahead of her off the course.
"I'd really like to have a good season, but I have a lot of schooling," Williamson said. "It's going to be really tough to give all the time I would like to golf, so I shouldn't expect really big things out of myself. But I really hope to have a good season."
Williamson's dedication to school doesn't bother her coach. Waugh realizes students are in school to learn and not just to play. He also knows Williamson can find the right balance.
"I hope Lynn will dedication this school year to golf, but school is why she is here and that is OK," Waugh said. "It's hard to split anything, but I think Lynn can do it."
Succeeding at the tee and in the classroom are not the only pressures facing Williamson. On a roster of 12, Williamson is the only experienced senior. Williamson is willing to accept the added pressure, but is unsure of what effect it will have on her.
"But then there is the aspect that I need to perform well to help the team and to show good leadership. That's pressure."
Williamson's career tournament average is 82.1, and she has played in most of the tournaments Kansas had competed in during the past two years. She was a member of Kansas's Big Eight Conference Tournament team that placed sixth last year and tied for 23rd individually.
"It helps to have experience, and it makes me less nervous." Williamson said.
Jenny Brannan / KANSAN
It is this experience that Williamson's teammates look to in helping them have a good season.
Waugh knows a lot is being asked of Williamson this season and does not want her to feel too pressured. Waugh was captain of the Kansas men's basketball team in 1951 and knows too much pressure can be detrimental to an athlete.
Kansas senior Lynn Williamson enjoys the competition, but admits playing intercollegiate golf can be fun as well. "Mostly what I have learned is to find more enjoyment out of it," she said.
"I don't want to hang a burden on Lynn," Waugh said. "I don't think I dump the baggage of leading this team on Lynn. It is a heavy burden if given to a player. If Lynn wants to take the leadership role, then it is there for her to take."
If Williamson had been facing these pressures three years ago, she might have dealt with them differently.
Williamson acknowledges she is a worrier but believes it is something she has overcome since her freshman year.
"I have been trying to take that pressure off of myself because it makes things harder and it makes you play worse," she said.
Williamson's best attribute may be her desire to compete. Losing never crosses
her mind.
Williamson concentrates on school and
"When the whistle blows, Lynn is ready to play," Waugh said. "She is a fierce competitor, and she brings that with her when she comes to the course. That is part of her personality, and it is what helps her succeed in anything."
golf, knowing both reap rewards.
"Mostly what I have learned is to find more enjoyment out of it," Williamson said of golf. "There is more than just hard core competition. It is still that, but I have learned to enjoy it more. I am at a point where I just say, try your hardest and whatever is meant to be will happen."
Football team ready for real thing
By Robert Sinclair
Kansan sportswriter
When Kansas football coach Glen Mason held a rehearsal game on Friday, it marked the end of fall practices.
"I think people were trying; we just weren't into it today," said senior outside linebacker Keith Rodgers. "We're ready to go after Cincinnati."
Rodgers — referring to Kansas' season opener at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Memorial Stadium — was more forgiving than his coach.
For some it couldn't have come at a better time.
"One week from today it is for real. What we got is what we got," Mason said. "There's no use in worrying about it. I don't know if anyone had a good scrimmage."
The scrimmage, which was closed to the public and media, consisted of half playing football and half conditioniating. After a short
practice Saturday and a day off on Sunday, Kansas will begin preparing for the Bearcats.
"I think we're just tired of seeing the same faces. We need an additional challenge other than ourselves," Rodgers said. "At about the time your eagerness starts to grow for your opponent, you start to get tired of hitting the same people."
The end of repetitive drills comes none too soon for players on both sides of the ball.
"I think we'll be O.K. We're ready to hit somebody we don't like."
Senior quarterback Mark Williams agreed with his fellow captain.
"I saw some good things on offense that we've been working on. I think we just have to put everything together now," Williams said. "Today was just a matter of getting all the kinks out."
Listening to Mason, however, it would seem that the team had a long way to go.
"I don't think I've ever felt good, me personally, at this time," Mason said. "I expect them to be at a game pitch because I call it a rehearsal game. Maybe that's unrealistic."
Mason said that junior running back June Henley looked good. Rodges said that the defensive backfield played well, even though senior defensive back Dorian Brew didn't play due to an illness, and that junior running back Mark Sanders ran hard in the absence of senior running back L.T. Levine, who is nursing a sore ankle.
"We're a tired football team right now. I don't want my team feeling tired next Saturday," Mason said. "I want them to feel like a million bucks. And I want me to feel like a million bucks after the game."
Mason and the defensive captain were also in agreement that the lackcluster performance was to be blamed on fatigue, repetition and many hours of practice during the last couple of weeks.
Soccer league offers diversity
By Jeffrey Auslander Kansen sportswriter
Kansan sportswriter
The Lawrence Adult Soccer League offers a competitive and fun outlet for those who enjoy soccer.
The LASL, which started last fall, had more than 150 players compete in its first season, and it is interested in gaining more players this year.
League president Alvaro Restreto said increasing interest in Lawrence about soccer should help the league expand.
The Lawrence Adult Soccer League offers a competitive atmosphere with teams from different ethnic groups. League
"Lawrence is growing quite a bit, and the amount of soccer being played is a lot larger than a couple of years back," he said. "We want to grow large enough that not only will we have and adult league, but also a junior league."
MEN'S SOCCER
commissioner Bill Roth said that the diversity between teams gave each game a different flavor.
"There are players that have played for their country's junior or semi-pro teams," he said. "All the different styles of play give the league a mini-World Cup feel."
The league beings play on Sept. 10. Most games will be played on Sunday mornings at the Douglas County 4-H Fields, 19th and Harper streets. Registration is $220 a team, and a $75 fee will be used for referees, linesmen and field care. To join the league, contact the LASL at 749-0219 by Sept. 4.
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The league has fall and spring seasons. At the end of the spring season, seedings are given to each team for the final tournament in late April.