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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
COMMENTARY
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2007
WWW.KANSAN.COM
PAGE1B
Professional sports world acting not so professional'
NEBRASKA 3, KANSAS 0
BY BRYAN WHEELER
With all the disheartening stories of steroids, gambling and criminal activity in professional sports today, the word professional has ironically become somewhat of a mockery. If there is one thing that sports "professionals" should be reminded of today it would be, "You are responsible for your actions and there are consequences for your actions."
These words came from former MLB umpire Steve Palermo Tuesday evening as he spoke to a crowd in the Kansas Union. He was not speaking about Barry Bonds, Michael Vick or Pacman Jones. Palermo was speaking of a man serving a 75-year sentence for shooting and paralyzing him 16 years ago.
It was July 7, 1991, and Steve Palermo was enjoying dinner with friends after covering a Texas Rangers game. The party stopped when a bartender noticed two waitresses being mugged across the street. Palermo and five others, being Good Samaritans, responded to the situation by trying to break up the violent scene. Two of the muggers fled the scene in a car, while one man tried to break away on foot.
Palermo and his friend Terrance Man chased the culprit on foot, caught him and tackled him to the ground. The police, although called, did not arrive soon enough. The two other muggers and their getaway driver returned for the man Palermo and his friend pinned. Shots were fired, leaving Man wounded and Palermo paralyzed.
Palermo's neurosurgeon told him that he would never walk again. The man who shot him received a hefty prison sentence. After years of physical therapy, Palermo was able to walk again, with the assistance of a cane. His words shared with the crowd in the Kansas Union ranged from being a major league umpine to recovering from paralysis. He also gave inspirational words on overcoming adversity.
If there was one thing Palermo revealed that should be reverberated throughout the world of sports, it would be his character. In a little over an hour, Palermo unveiled more integrity and honesty about life and sports than can be seen across sports headlines today. Whether it was in his days as one of the most respected umpires in baseball or his time spent recovering from paralysis, Palermo embodies something that is missing from many sports professionals.
In today's world, it is easy to find sports professionals acting not so professional. Nearly every day we come across another story involving some sort of illegal activity on or off the field. In this past week alone, former Atlanta Falcon's Michael Vick was indicted on charges of dog fighting and San Diego Padre's Milton Bradley threw a baseball bat at umpire Mike Winters. In the past few months, NBA Hall of Famer Isaiah Thomas was involved in a sexual harassment scandal and OJ Simpson is facing 10 felony charges.
SEE WHEELER ON PAGE 4B
Other instances — such as Barry Bonds' alleged steroid use, NBA referee Tim Donaghy fixing games and Bill Belichick stealing other teams' plays on camera — show little regard for morals in sports today. With the millions of dollars involved in professional sports, it is easy to feel untouchable as an athlete, official or coach. Stories like Palermo's show that even if one does the right thing, the glamour and fame that come with being a sports professional can be taken away at any moment.
Anna Faltermeyer/KANSAN
Senior middle blocker Natalie Uhart goes up for a block during the first game of the match against Nebraska Wednesday night. Nebraska won the match in a three-game sweep. Kansas' record fell to 9-6 overall.
Huskers dominate Jayhawks again
Defending national champions show why they're best in country with 3-set victory
BY RUSTIN DODD
rdodd@kansan.com
After 10 years of watching opposing teams travel to Lawrence, Kansas coach Ray Bechard conceded that Nebraska might be the best he's seen.
Bechard could only watch as No. 1 Nebraska used a prolific offensive attack to sweep Kansas 3-0 (30-18, 30-24, 30-18) and spoil the return of Kansas senior middle blocker Natalie Uhart.
"That's what they do." Bechard said. "They just grind you down and wear you out."
return.
Uhart finished with seven kills in her
"I'm just glad to put this all behind me," Uhart said in the statement.
Despite the loss, Uhart played her first game since Aug. 31. The Kansas Athletics Department released a statement during Wednesday's game that said Uhart missed the last 10 games to receive treatment for a "congenital defect in her heart."
"That's what they do. They just grind you down and wear you out."
Bechard said he was glad to have her back.
"She raises everybody's level." Bechard said. "She's a great teammate."
RAY BECHARD Kansas coach
But the real story on Wednesday was the play of the Nebraska offense. Nebraska totaled 53 kills and made only 16 hitting errors. Nebraska junior Jordan Larson led the Huskers with 17 kills, while last year's American Coaches Volleyball Association National
Player of the Year, senior Sarah Pavan,
added 12.
"You've got a former player of the year in Pavan," Bechard said, "and then tonight, the best player on the floor is Larson. They're very balanced and very good."
SEE VOLLEYBALL ON PAGE 8B
Kansas reflects on loss to Nebraska sees opportunity for improvement
A sold out crowd at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center saw a team they will never forget.
The Nebraska volleyball team is the No.1 team in the nation for a reason and the Jayhawks found out why Wednesday evening, Kansas lost 30-18, 30-24, 30-18 against the Cornhuskers after coming off of two Big 12 victories.
The returning national champions made a case on why they can do it once again this year. They dominated the Jayhawks in every aspect of the game, including out hitting them 53 kills to 31. They found every hole that was on the other side of the floor.
A big positive for the Jayhawks was the return of senior Natalie Uhart to the lineup. She helped the team in many ways during the three games including seven kills.
"She raises everyone's game a level because she's a great communicator, a great competitor and a great teammate," coach Ray Bechard said. "I was very surprised with her performance. I expected there to be a lot more rust, because we weren't sure if she could come back quite this soon. She's been practicing extremely well, and today she told me she felt good and said she was ready to play."
As long as she can stay healthy from here on out, this match will just be a bump in the road, and the Jayhawks should look to use her as one of their main weapons.
With the return of Uhart, the team played without sophomore middle blocker Brittany Williams, who has played a major role for the team this year.
Freshman outside hitters Jenna Kaiser and Karina Garlington provided sparks for the team, each having a couple big hits to break Nebraska's momentum at times. In game two, Kaiser had two big kills that helped bring the Hawks closer, but it wasn't enough in the end.
SEEJOHNSON ON PAGE 8B
» FOOTBALL CONTROVERSY
Oklahoma State coach's rant targets KU grad
Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy answers a question Monday during the weekly news conference at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla. Gundy verbally attacked a columnist for her article about Bobbv Reid.
BY THOR NYSTROM
tnystrom@kansan.com
Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy's three and a half minute long post-game tirade on Saturday hit close to home for a graduate of the University of Kansas School of Journalism.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jenni Carlson, a former University Daily Kansan columnist and sports editor, was the
Carlson
Carlson wrote a column, printed last Saturday in The Oklahomaan, suggesting OSU quarterback Bobby Reid was benched for his attitude and not his play. The column insinuated, through an
anecdote about Reid's mother feeding him chicken near the team charter, that Reid was coddled and didn't possess the mental or physical toughness for the position.
reporter on the receiving end of Gundy's rant.
Gundy lashed out at Carlson at a press conference after OSU's 49-45 victory against Texas Tech. When he was finished, he stormed out of the room without taking any questions.
In the clip, which can be found on
YouTube, Gundy said three-fourths of the column was "fiction" and called the newspaper "garbage."
On Monday, Carlson had her first chance to ask Gundy for a clarification. During the coach's Monday news conference, Carlson asked, "You contended three-fourths of that column was inaccurate; could you tell me what those factual errors were?"
Gundy responded, "I don't have to."
Carlson continued by saying, "Our paper has a policy of correcting errors, and I can't do that if I don't know what the errors were."
so that I don't know what the errors were.
"I don't have to," Gundy said again. "I'd rather just let it go."
Lawrence Journal-World sports reporter Tom Keegan, who covered Major League Baseball for 18 years and now writes about
"I think it's interesting that he said three-fourths of the story is wrong, she asks him what the errors are, and he isn't able to come up with anything," Keegan said. "His inability to point to one single thing shows that not one thing in the story was wrong."
KU sports, said Gundy's overreaction showed how much the coach had been spoiled by local media.
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Keegan said Gundy's actions were "completely out of bounds." He did say, however, that he doesn't cover amateur athletes in the same way as professional athletes.
"Right or wrong, my way of doing it, I am not as critical of the college athlete as a professional athlete because they aren't getting paid," Keegan said. "I'm analytical and critical of the performances, but I do it a different way."
Keegan is no stranger to tongue lashings. While covering the Dodgers, Tommy Lasorda once chewed him out while, ironically, eating chicken.
"I actually swallowed some of Tommy Lasardas' chicken spittle." Keegan said.
Gundy said in Monday's press conference that he was just "shooting from the hip." He
SEE GUNDY ON PAGE 4B
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