SCORES
Major League Baseball standings, Page 4.
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HOROSCOPE Look into the future . Page 2.
SPORTS
08
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY AUGUST 22, 1995
Send'em to a round in court
On behalf of the American public and boxing fans on six continents, I wish to file a class-action suit against those involved in Saturday night's comeback of Mike Tyson. Don King, King Productions Inc., Mike Tyson, Peter McNeeley and Vinny Vecchione, McNeeley's manager, all better hope the Simpson trial is settled quickly because they will need Simpson's legal staff to defend them on charges of misrepresentation to the American people.
For those of you who didn't shell out $50 to see the fight, I'll recap the action for you. McNeeley fell down 15 seconds into the fight ... he got up ... he got tripped ... he got up again ... and then his corner threw in the towel ... 99 seconds of confusion and frustration, and not much boxing. I wouldn't have minded if it was a
repeat of the Spinks fight in which Tyson destoyed Spinks in 91 seconds.
SPORTS COLUMNIST
Spinks was out, and it obviously was over. At least against Spinks we saw Tyson fight. Tyson landed less than ten punches against McNeeley, and only three were
anded cleanly. None were a typical Tyson knock-out punch, and it was obvious that McNeeley could have continued.
Veteran boxing referee Mills Lane even thought the corner called the fight prematurely. It was so suspect that even the Nevada Boxing Commission is investigating why McNeeley's manager threw in the towel so early. It is the perfect plan: Withstand a few punches, and then have your manager throw in the towel. It was so much more convincing with McNeeley protesting his manager's decision in the ring.
SECTION B
The whole thing was very surreal. It seemed like a WWF Wrestlemania event rather than a WBA-sanctioned boxing match. After McNeeley's poem, Don King's ranting and raving and Tyson's praising, I was expecting Jesse "The Body" Ventura to be commentating ringside with Sugar Ray Leonard. Especially after he reeled off a dedication list before the fight that would have made an Oscar winner proud.
At a press conference on Sunday, amid accusations of foul play, McNeeley's manager Vinny Vecchione asked reporters if anyone remembered Jimmy Garcia. Garcia was a boxer who died in the ring earlier this year.
At that point in the fight, McNeeley had about as much of a chance of dying in the ring as I did in my La-Z-Boy. The whole thing was ridiculous. I'm still waiting for Tyson's comeback fight. I don't think this one counts.
To avoid future lawsuits, I have a few suggestions for Don King and everyone else involved:
Give a partial refund if the fight doesn't last a single round.
Feature someone more exciting than Bruce "The Ballerina" Seldon and Joe "I can't lay off the Twinkies" Hipp on the under card.
Choose an opponent that can beat the 90-second barrier.
Fight soon. Don't make us wait more than six months for the real comeback fight.
Fight someone I've heard of.
Don't charge so much
I also have a word of advice for Peter McNeeley, REFIITE! Take that $540,000 paycheck and open a bar in Boston. You could fill the place with boxing memorabilia from your family's boxing legacy. Whatever you do, you better do it quickly, because soon the title after your name will read like your father's": "Former Heavy-weight Contender."
If you're like me and think some flashy con artist with funny hair stole $50 from you, let me know and you can join in my classaction suit. You never know, maybe we could get the pay-perview rights for the trial.
By Robert Sinclair Kansan sportswriter
The arrival of the Big 12 Conference next year means more than the end of the Big Eight and Southwest conferences.
It could also mean the end of a conference's ability to dominate the national football polls.
Members of the Big 12 — which include the Big Eight schools in addition to Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Baylor — are looking at the possibility of a conference championship game between the north and south division winners. However, not everyone approves of the post-season format.
"All you really do with a playoff is eliminate one of our potentials," said Missouri football
coach Larry Smith. "We as coaches discussed it, and we felt strongly against it."
A study by the coaches discovered that during eight of the last 10 years, two future Big 12 teams were ranked in the top six—which is the criteria for being a part of the College Football Bowl Coalition. Last year Nebraska and Colorado finished first and third respectively.
Nebraska coach Tom Osborne said a playoff game would significantly reduce the conference's success.
"Occasionally you're going to have two teams of the Big 12, playing in the big game, being ranked one and two." he said. "If you have a playoff, that's never going to happen."
their respective divisions, theoretically they both could be ranked as high as No.1 and No.2 in the country. Instead of both teams making about $8 million apiece, which is the estimated revenue for the national championship game in the Fiesta Bowl this year, only the winner of the Big 12 championship is likely to advance into the big bowl game.
For example, if Nebraska and Texas both go defeated in
"I think it truly comes down to a dollars and cents thing," Kansas football coach Glen Mason said. "If whoever those people are that make those decisions think that they're going to make more money consistently year in and year out in a playoff, then you're going to see it."
It appears, however, that the coaches' concerns are being heard. Officials from the Big 12 are analyzing the six cities interested in holding the game — St. Louis, Houston, Kansas City, San Antonio, Dallas and Irving, Texas.
"Right now they're taking bids from the cities and deciding whether or not to have it," said Jeff Bollig, Big Eight Conference Service Bureau director. "It's not a done deal yet."
According to Big 12 commissioner Steve Hatchell, some factors in the decision are weather (because the game could be played at night in late November or early December), expenses and guarantees.
Hatchell also understands the coaches' perspective, though.
"I think it brings a whole new set of pressures," he said. "I think, too, that a championship can be a great celebration for the conference."
Possible playoff places
The Big 12 Conference is considering six cities for a proposed conference football championship game.
SOURCE: Steve Hatchell,
Conference Commissioner
Brian James/KANBAN
Walk-on runner leads the pack
Schultz sets high goals with difficult class load and ROTC
By Adam Herschman
Kansan sportswriter
It's not too often that a freshman walks onto a Division I college team and ends up being the team's top runner.
But in the case of Bryan Schultz, this was true.
Schultz, a Topeka junior, walked onto the Kansas men's cross country team two years ago and led the team throughout the season.
"I didn't expect to do that well my first season at KU," Schultz said. "I went into the season just wanting to make the travel team. I wasn't really sure how well I'd do. I kind of surprised myself in the first race when I was third overall. It started from there, and the season went great."
Although Schultz placed fourth in the state cross country meet, he was recruited by only one Division I school — the University of Kansas.
Kansas Junior Bryan Schultz must ice his knee because of injuries, he is not expected to miss any meets. He walked into the track team two years ago and was Kansas' top runner in 1993.
Schultz was Kansas' top runner in 1993 because All-Americans Michael Cox and David Johnston were redshirted. Schultz was the top runner in all seven meets as a freshman and placed seventh at the Jayhawk Invitational.
Cox and Johnston returned to the team for their final year of eligibility last year. This took part of the pressure off of
He accomplished it while running on an injured knee.
Matt Flickner / KARBAN
Schultz, as he was the team's third runner for most of the season. Schultz finished 25th at the Big Eight Championships and 27th at District V Championships.
Kansas assistant cross country coach Steve Guymon said Schultz had set a lot of high goals for himself after a great freshman year. He made it through despite the nagging knee injury.
ment to becoming the best collegiate cross country and distance runner he can," he said. "I'm looking forward to see this year's improvement. He's committed, if anything he'll overwork."
Schultz has suffered a few minor injuries from running that have bothered his training this season. His injuries are considered minor. He is not expected to miss any meets or be slowed by the injuries.
Schultz said his older brother, Bill Schultz, Topeka senior, encouraged him to start running.
"He came home when he was a freshman in high school saying how fun it was, so I decided to when I was a fresh
man in high school." Schultz said.
Schultz also gives a lot of credit to Topeka West High School cross country coach Joe Schrag for making his program fun, competitive and interesting.
"I'm this guy thats always running,this guy that keeps himself too busy."
"Bryan is one of the toughest competitors I've ever been around," Guymon said.
Bryan Schultz Kansas cross country team member
Kansas cross country coach Gary Schwartz agreed.
"I don't worry about Bryan, because Bryan has just a lot of desire and commit-
"My freshman and sophomore year in high school, I really didn't think I would be running in college," he said. "My junior year I kind of realized I'd like to, because I started to get a lot better between my sophomore and junior year in high school."
His parents, Richard and Esther Schultz, have been very supportive. They attend as many races as possible.
"They actually drive out to some of the meets," Schultz said. "I'm pretty sure they're going to see Illinois and Minnesota. They like to go and watch the races. Throughout all my running they kind of always enjoyed watching me compete."
Besides classes and a tough training schedule, Schultz is also in the Navy ROTC. He carries a cumulative grade point average of 3.45 and is majoring in mechanical engineering.
"I'm this guy that's always running, this guy that keeps himself too busy," he said. Schultz did a lot of distance running this summer.
The coaches give runners a loose workout that shows what kind of workouts they should be doing and how much mileage they should complete, and they leave the rest up to the runners, Schultz said. He did mostly distance runs.
Schultz has set high goals for this season.
"I'd like to see us win the last Big Eight meet," he said. "That's something I think would finish off the Big Eight right. It's on our home course, and I just kind of hope that would work out. Individually, I'd like to make All-American. I'd also like to see the team make top ten at nationals."
Schultz said he would like to run competitively after college is over.
"I've been looking forward to this year," he said. "It should be a good year to run. We got a lot of returning people. Hope-
Kansas Cross Country 1995 Schedule
Sept.2 Southern Illinois Dual
Sept.16 Jayhawk Invitational
Sept.23 Kansas State Invitational
Sept.29 Oklahoma Invitational
Oct.14 Oregon Invitational
Oct. 28 Big Eight Conference
Championships
Nov. 11 District V
Championships
Nov.20 NCAA Championships
Hockey back at Kansas after 3-year freeze
By Dan Gelston
Kansan sportswriter
Practice begins in September for new club team that will play Big Eight Conference rivals
Fall in Kansas conjures images of a bone-jarring hit by a Kansas linebacker or 90 mph serves by a tennis player. It rarely has been associated with ice or men on skates.
That might change as hockey returns to Kansas after a three-year absence. The return of the sport was led by Bill Jensen, Westbury, N.Y., graduate student. A lifelong player and fan of the game, Jensen decided last year that KU students should be exposed to and given the opportunity to play hockey.
"There was definitely a void that needed to be filled," Jensen said. "Kansas has all these great traditional sports like basketball and baseball, but I felt it needs hockey. I saw a good opportunity to start one up."
The hockey team was suspended three years ago after allegations of improper money management by team managers.
"I think when Rick saw how good the leadership was and how organized we were, he figured we were capable of running a hockey team," Jensen said.
Jensen took his idea last fall to Rick Rosenstengle, the club sport director. Rosenstengle allowed Jensen to try out his idea with a roller hockey team.
Jensen took some holdovers from the roller hockey team and began building a hockey team. Jensen has set dates to play all Big Eight Conference schools and other colleges throughout Kansas and Missouri that express interest.
"I'm sure there's going to be some growing pains — we're a young team," he said. "But we have some experience on both the
The opportunity to resume his playing career excited Derek Mescato, Font Hill, Ontario, graduate student. Mescato, who had been playing since he was 6 years old and competed at Heron College, thought his competitive days were over.
coaching and playing sides. It's going to be a new and exciting experience here at Kansas."
Part of the growing pains of a new sport are getting funds. Rosenstengle gave the club $7,000, and the team must raise the rest. Players must pay $25.00 and provide their own equipment.
The team expects to begin practice at the end of September and will play at King Louie Recreation Centers in the Kansas City area until a new rink is completed in Shawnee.
Jensen said the team had been approached by the Kansas City Blades to play Missouri before a Blades game, provided the team could sell 500 tickets at $10 each.
Jensen said he hoped to have a squad of 15 to 20 players. Because it is a club sport, nobody can be cut.
"Most students at Kansas have never really been exposed to hockey," Jensen said. "I think if they come out and support us, you'll see some of the most exciting and competitive action sports has to offer here."