8B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
COMMENTARY
MONDAY, AUGUST 13, 2007
Kansas athletics flounders
School needs national championship to regain prestige
Sit back and let it soak in. We live in a world where Oregon State can win back-to-back College World Series and Florida is a budding basketball dynasty. Boise State can win the Fiesta Bowl and George Mason can make it to the Final Four. And the one thing I thought I would never say: Rutgers football, national title contender, baby.
BY RUSTIN DODD
KANSAN SPORTS COLUMNIST
RDDOD@KANSAN.COM
It's a new era. Parity, rules and tradition are rendered meaningless
What does it all mean? First off, University of Kansas fans need to look in the mirror. You might not like what you see. Our identity as a school and a student population are hanging in the balance.
Why all the Kansas bashing? We have solid academics, and we're a top 10 party school. What gives?
We're focused on other things at Kansas. Namely, being named in Playboy's list of top 10 party schools. Let the record show that Kansas students are very good at this.
It goes without saying that between the ages of 18 and 22, your status in life is directly related to your university. Well, maybe not totally, but this is college, and reputations are important. Raise your hand if you haven't secretly measured yourself up against an old high school buddy at a different college. That's what I thought.
It's sad to say, but right now KU students have their reputations at stake. Let's break it down. Kansas is one of the finer academic institutions in the Midwest, but it doesn't matter how many times Kansas is referred to as "Harvard on the Kaw," we're still not lvy-league. That's okay, though. We're focused on other things at Kansas. Namely, being named in Playboy's list of top 10 party schools. Let the record show that Kansas students are very good at this. Kansas was ranked ninth in Playboy's 2002 list of best party schools.
Yes, but the one trump card that separates Kansas from all the other cool-college wannabes is slowly fading away. Yes, I'm talking about athletics. The cornerstone of Kansas is slowly eroding
I know what you are thinking.
into a very shiny pebble.
How many times have you heard this conversation?
KU Fan 1: "What's up with Baylor?"
KU Fan 2: "Yeah, why are they
even in the Big 12? Let's kick them out and add Arkansas."
Well, I hate to break it to KU phans, but in the past 15 years, tiny Baylor has won more national titles than athletic juggernaut Kansas.
lost to the Ladybugs. Alright, I made that last one up, but the point is, KU sports have lost their luster.
Did you know in 1993, Kansas teams went to the Final Four, College World Series, and played in a bowl game? Now those are accomplishments a college student can brag about.
The women's soccer team has slowly been molded into a power under the guidance of coach Mark Francis. They need to step up this year.
The football team has the best cornerback in the nation in Aqib Talib. It also has a favorable schedule and a coach with something to prove. They need to break out.
Now the good news. As bad as things are around here, they are worse at Kansas State and Missouri. But things must get better. Kansas must become relevant again on the national scene. There is a glimmer of hope. Bonnie Henrickson has been making major strides with the women's basketball team. The team returns five strong sophomores who played major minutes as freshmen.
What happened? Just last year, the KU football team lost to Toledo, KU basketball and baseball lost to Oral Roberts, KU women's basketball lost to South Dakota State and our women's soccer队
Did you know in 1993, Kansas teams went to the Final Four College World Series,and played in a bowl game? Now those are accomplishments a college student can brag about.
But really, it all comes back to men's basketball. The school needs a national title. No, scratch that.
People are craving for a championship. I mean people are actually foaming at the
mouth. Please Bill Self. Make us relevant again. Put Kansas back on the map. Most of all, give us something to brag about.
-- Edited by Eric Jorgensen
Get Wild after school!
FOOTBALL
©2008 Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. BWW000497
Team anticipates first game Injuries,young players force new team identity,dynamic
BY ASHER FUSCO
afusco@kansan.com
Injuries have already started to take their toll on the Jayhawks. Two players projected to crack the defensive starting lineup are sidelined. Junior defensive tackle Todd Haselhorst suffered an injury during summer workouts, but Mangino said he should be healthy for the Sept.1 season opener. Junior cornerback Kendrick Harper could be out for the next four to six weeks with an injury he sustained on the first day of fall practices. Harper is tentatively scheduled to make his return to the field by the time Big 12 Conference play begins in early October. Mangino did not go into detail on the nature of the injuries.
At times during the first open practice of the fall the offensive line looked shaky. After the loss of three starters from last year's dependable unit, experienced juniors Ryan Cantrell and Chet Hartley should be able to fill in at center and right guard. But the most important piece of the offensive line could be junior guard Adrian Mayes, who has seen action in only one collegiate game.
appeared. He overmatched in 11-on-11 drills earlier this month. At media day, junior tackle Anthony Collins said the team was not concerned about the turnover on the offensive line. "We're more athletic, we're more skilled, and we're bigger. We're better than last year," Collins said.
Mangino said he was pleased with early returns from a few true freshmen. Mangino said freshman wide receivers Dezmon Briscoe and Jonathan Wilson and running back Carmon Boyd-Anderson could see playing time. On defense, cornerback Chris Harris, defensive tackle Richard Johnson Jr. and defensive end Jake Laptad all made favorable impressions in the first several practices. Offensive coordinator Ed Warinner said the addition of Briscoe and Wilson would give the wide receiving corps much-needed depth.
After nearly every play of the open practice, defensive coaches shouted terms like "bandit", "base one" and "base two". Every command was followed by players hustling around and swapping positions. "We've been jumping around
a lot," Mangino said. "We're just utilizing different packages to play to the strengths of our linebackers."
Mangino said the team was using nearly all of its allotted three hours of practice time every day. The team's open practice lasted about two and a half hours and was followed by a short conditioning session. The start of practice was comfortable, but temperatures were rising quickly. "I'm not going to lie — it's getting pretty hot out here," said senior tight end Derek Fine. "But it's just a part of football. You kind of come to expect it"
A new NCAA rule could result in more inturies and more excitement. This season, kickoffs are being moved from the 35-yard line to the 30-yard line. The five-yard shift will cut down on the number of touchbacks and add more kick return opportunities. Though the rule change could benefit Kansas and its solid kick returners, Mangino said he was not looking forward to the adjustment because of the additional collisions that could take place.
Edited by Dianne Smith
IRL
Kanaan pulls ahead late for victory
BY WILL GRAVES ASSOCIATED PRESS
SPARTA, Ky. — Tony Kanaan kept his outside shot at an IndyCar Series title alive Saturday night, blistering the field to win the Meijer Indy 300 at Kentucky Speedway.
Kanaan roared by A.J. Foyt IV with less than 10 laps to go for his second straight victory, his fourth win of the year and first-ever by an Andretti Green Racing driver at the 1.5-mile tri-oval.
Kanaan overpowered the weekend, taking the pole on Friday and leaving little doubt about his car's dominance in the twilight. He beat Scott Dixon by 1.745 seconds to become the second polesitter to win in the race's eight-year history.
"We definitely don't need him winning anymore," Dixon said. "We'll stay aggressive. We've just got to stay on top of our game and keep the pressure on those boys."
Series leader Dario Franchitti ran with his Andretti teammate for much of the race before a couple of bizarre incidents dropped him to eighth. He was battling for second with Dixon when he swung out too high and fell to sixth, then lost a couple more spots when he clipped a flag entering pit road, damaging the nose of his car.
James Crisp/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Things only got worse after the race, as Franchitti once again went airborne a week after a harrowing crash in Michigan.
Moments after the checkered flag waved, Franchitti rode up the back of Kosuke Matsura's car and flipped. The car pirouetted on its nose and landed against the outside wall in the first turn.
Tony Kanaan raises the trophy after winning the IRL Meijer Indy 300 auto race on Saturday at the Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Ky..
Danica Patrick, seeking her first career victory, was struck by tire problems for the second straight week. She had rallied from 11th and was running near the front when she spun out trying to leave the pits with 20 laps to go. After regaining control of her car, she blew her right rear
tire and nearly collided with a safety vehicle, finishing 16th.
Foyt led briefly following the caution after Patrick's crash, but Kanaan had little problem passing him soon after the restart. Foyt finished third, the first top-five finish of his career.
Welcome Back Students!
Back to School Special
Genuine Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald Earrings
ONLY $10.00
Hurst Fine Diamonds
3140 Iowa Street, Suite 109
Lawrence, KS 66046
785-479-5552
Next to Bath and Body www.hurstdiamonds.com
---