2B
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2006
>> FANTASY FOOTBALL
Drafting the perfect fantasy football team
Last week you were enlightened with "The Five Commandments of Fantasy Football." Well, Moses called and informed me that there are actually 10 commandments. So, here are commandments six through 10. Next week, you will be assaulted by hard core, in-depth analysis of who to add, drop or trade. If you missed the first five commandments last week, I can't exactly remember what they were, but I think it went something like this:
1) Thou shalt not draft J.P.
Losman
2) Thou shalt not draft J.P.
Losman
3. Thou shalt not draft J.P.
Losman
4) Thou shalt not draft J.P.
Losman
5) Thou shalt not draft J.P.
Losman
BY EVAN HENGEL
KANSAN COLUMNIST
EHENGEL@KANSAN.COM
Now that youre caught up to speed, here are the final five:
6) Thou shalt not draft multiple players from the same team. Treat your players like stocks and diversify. Many amateurs love to draft QB/ WR combos in pairs (i.e. having both Eil Manning and Plaxico Burress) because on any touchdown pass to Burress, they'd receive double
points for the TD pass and catch. However, that manager would be screwed on week four (Giants' bye week) and would also be cooked if Tom Coughlin's offense reverts back to the way it was his last couple years in Jacksonville.
7) Thou shalt not draft a Denver running back. I know you're thinking, "Wait, what's he talking about? Tatum Bell and Mike Bell have both looked good in the preseason and with Mike Shanahan's system, you could plug in a girl scout at tailback and she could still rush for 1,300 yards." And you'd be right.
However, Mike Shanahan will rip your heart out. It's possible he'll switch starting running backs 36 times this year. A confused Pete Coors might start in the backfield at some point. I drafted Tatum Bell
last year, and actually, I'm not ready to talk about it vet.
8) Thou shalt scour the waiver wire. If, while eating Gumby's and watching football on a Sunday afternoon, you see Shaun Alexander get his arm ripped off by Detroit's Ernie Sims in week one, and you aren't first in line to pick up Maurice Morris (his backup), you don't deserve to win your league. Additionally, if you own Alexander, you should "handcuff" Morris to him on draft day to soften the blow to your team in case the arm removal scenario comes to fruition.
9) Thou shalt select players from your favorite team. Many experts will tell you to "draft without emotion," "think with your head, not your heart," and so on. The truth of the matter is, most fantasy leagues require an investment of somewhere between $5 and $20. Not exactly anything worth being deadly serious about. So, if you own the number one pick in your draft and you can't decide between Shaun Alexander and Larry Johnson and you're a Chiefs fan, just go ahead and take LJ. It will make Chiefs games that much more fun to watch when you
see him plow through opposing defenses the way Rosie O'Donnell plows through a buffet-line.
10) Thou shalt not be the first one to select a defense. Every year, every draft, somebody reaches and drafts Chicago, Carolina, Baltimore, or Pittsburgh's defense in the first five rounds. Let me explain this clearly: there is NO defense that that is worth taking in the first eight rounds.
Just wait it out, and while your buddies gobble up the defenses, you can stock up on quality midround backs and receivers like Laurence Maroney and Reggie Brown. If no good defenses are left in the later rounds, you can always go with the trusty "defensive roulette." This is where you search the waver wire each week for a team that plays against offensively challenged teams like Houston, San Francisco, or Buffalo.
Kansan sportswriter Evan Hengel can be contacted at ehengel@ kansan.com.
Edited by Brett Bolton
atheltics calendar
FRIDAY
Volleyball vs. Temple, 6 p.m., Temple Classic, Philadelphia, Pa.
Soccer vs. Cal, 6:30 p.m., Cal Invitational, Berkeley, Calif.
Player to watch: Julie Hanley won the rights to start at goalkeeper
against Furman last Friday. After beating them 3-0 and getting the shutout, look for her to remain at this position
when the Jayhawks face the Golden
Bears this Friday.
SATURDAY
Volleyball vs. Maine, 9 a.m., Temple Classic, Philadelphia, Pa.
Cross Country, Bob Timmons
Invitational, 9 a.m., Rim Rock
Farm
Volleyball vs. Rutgers, 2 p.m.
Temple Classic, Philadelphia, Pa.
Football vs. Northwestern State,
6 p.m., Memorial Stadium
SUNDAY
Soccer vs. Saint Mary's, noon,
Cal Invitational, Berkeley, Calif.
correction
An article in Tuesday's The University Daily Kanan contained an error. The article incorrectly attributed the remark, "In a month's time, the strength of
the sooners has shifted from offense to defense. The remark was made by the story's author, Shawn Shroyer.
》 SEVENTH-INNING STRETCH
Games during dinner
Barely into our appetizer at a restaurant on The Country Club Plaza, the rain delay ended on the baseball game being shown in the dining area.
Play resumed and I found it impossible to tear myself away from the game. My date was incredible, and patient, but he did not share my obsession with the fifth and final game of the series.
This I simply did not understand. He wanted to eat and talk, then talk and eat. That, of course, is nice, but can it wait? The game is on.
I finally gave in and settled for highlights after dinner and during the ride home. It wasn't as if my date wasn't interested in sports. He's a state champion wrestler, for crying out loud. His argument was that romantic dinners and watching a game that I'd potentially get far too emotional about just don't mix.
BY ALISSA BAUER
KANSAN COLUMNIST
ABAUER@KANSAN.COM
When he reminded me of this, I couldn't help but laugh. I'm one of those people. Yes, the old-man figure who gets smacked with his wife's purse when he ruins their one evening a month out together by watching Monday Night Football through the entree.
According to Lawrence.com, there are 230 restaurants in the Lawrence area and more than three-fourths
Why are we like this? Obviously we live in a sports-driven society. One team's success can pull an entire city together instantly, and there's the answer.
of them house televisions dedicated to sports.
So whether I'm in the mood for fast food, such as Back Yard Burgers, or a quiet dinner for two at Lawrence's finest, like Paisano Ristorante or Teller's, I watch at least one TV to satisfy my sports-watching fix.
On top of that, there are restaurants designed solely for watching sports. Buffalo Wild Wings, Molly McGee's, J.B. Stout's and even 75th Street Brewery have more than 20 TVs each. For what?
Watching games, that's what.
Remember that the next time you're scolded by your girlfriend, or boyfriend, for averting your eyes from her long, romantic gaze to catch the score on the TV above her head.
That restaurant was built for it. Besides, the television can't be ignored either.
Kansan sportswriter Alissa Bauer
is a Winfield senior in journalism.
— Edited by Mindy Ricketts
TENNIS
Rain delays force play to stop at U.S. Open
Players and fans get to rest after bad weather makes day two of the Grand Slam stop-and-go
BY BEN WALKER ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Amelie Mauresmo wiped raindrops from her face and Lleyton Hewitt nearly skidded into a split as bad weather played havoc with the U.S. Open on a stop-and-go Tuesday.
More than 50 matches were postponed. Showers and a shaky forecast pushed back a remembrance of Hurricane Katrina on the one-year anniversary to Wednesday.
The start of play was delayed 3 1/2 hours by rain, giving sleepyeyed fans extra time to recover after watching Andre Agassi finish off his first-round win at 12:30 a.m. EDT. Light but persistent rain forced two suspensions and left the courts empty by late afternoon.
No matches came close to completion. The nine that were in progress were to be picked up at the point they were stopped.
"It can be tough when you're waiting around all day," said 13th-seeded Mary Pierce, still waiting to begin her match against Elena Vesnina of Russia. "Sometimes you have to be ready in 20 minutes after you've been waiting for hours."
The top-seeded Mauresmo won her opening set against unheralded Kristina Barrois 6-1, but was trailing 2-5 in the second when play was halted for a second time.
Mauresmo was hoping to add a third Grand Slam title this year, having won the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Barrois was making her U.S. Open debut, and had said her goal was to move into the top 100.
Only a few thousand fans were in Arthur Ashe Stadium when that match began. Those sitting in the upper deck were allowed to move down to the lower, pricey seats. That didn't stop them from booing, however, when play was stopped.
Hewitt, the 2001 U.S. Open champion, and Albert Montanes were tied at 5 in the first set when it was suspended. That came right after Hewitt's right foot slid on the slippery baseline and he almost when into a split.
The U.S. Open's official Media Operations Guide said a session must be called by 5 p.m. if play does not start. Once it begins, it's up to tournament officials.
The cutoff for the night session was 9:45 p.m. The last time an entire session was called off at the Open was 2004.
With so many matches running behind, the practice courts were jammed. Often, four players shared the same surface, simultaneously keeping two balls in play by hitting to the opposite corners.
"There's not much you can do, and there's not a lot of places you
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A fan waits out a rain delay during the match between Lietoni Hewitt of Australia and Albert Montanes of Spain at the US Open tennis tournament in New York, Tuesday.
can go." Pierce said. "I just try to stay in the locker room and make sure that I drink, that I eat, rest, take
naps, read.
"It's good training for your patience," she said.
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MINK LAW DAY 2006
Missouri Iowa
Thursday, September 7th
3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Overland Park Convention Center
6000 College Boulevard Overland Park, Kansas
OPCC directions at http://www.opconventioncenter.com
representatives from around the country. If you are interested in attending law school, come to learn what law schools are looking for in applicants. Attendance is free to the public. Informational break out sessions will be held at 4:00,5:00,and 6:00 p.m. with topics on Admissions,
MINK Law Day provides prospective law students with an opportunity to speak with OVER 60 law school
Career Opportunities and the Student Perspective.
Pre-Register at
http://law.missouri.edu/mink/
Or contact the MU School of Law
at 573-882-6042 or unclawadmissions@missouri.edu