KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2011 / SPORTS
9A
QUOTE OF THE DAY
From the 1986 movie "Hoo-siers": [to a player who is praying]
Coach Norman Dale: "Strap,
God wants you on the floor."
- imbd.com
FACT OF THE DAY
Dennis Hopper won the Best Supporting Actor for his role in "Hoosiers" from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.
movies.amctv.com
TRIVIA OF THE DAY
Q: What Monday Night Football announcer was known as "The Mouth"?
A: Howard Cosell, he covered Monday Night Football from 1970-1984.
usefultrivia.com
Indian cricketer pride of nation
MORNING BREW
He doesn't look like most chiseled sports heroes who swig bats. He's never been in the midst of a scandal and he's never televised a decision. He is 5-foot-5 and could be mistaken for a professor by those who don't know him
In India, home to more than 1.2 billion people, cricket is religion and Tendulkar is God. If you don't believe me, there's a book about it.
Sachin Tendulkar, whose first name in Hindi means "pure," is an Indian cricketer. He led his country to a championship over Sri Lanka in the 2011 World Cup of cricket last Saturday, the second cricket championship in the country's history and the first since 1983.
BY MAX ROTHMAN mrothman@kansan.com
At one of his matches, among throngs of Indian faithful, one fan hoisted a sign. A human. "To not is Sorry."
"To err is human. To not is Sachin."
Tendulkar is the only player to have ever scored at least 50 centuries in international cricket. A century is when a batsman, after hitting the ball, scores 100 runs in one inning without getting out. "Runs can be scored by hitting the ball past a boundary and scoring automatically, or by hitting the ball within the boundary and running to the bowler and back." A bowler, similar to a pitcher in baseball, gets a batsman out by hitting the batsman's wicket (three wooden sticks and two pails). The batsman is also out if the ball is caught in the air. Tendulkar now has 99 centuries in his career, and he is the only player to score a double century in the history of ODI (One Day International Cricket). I could go on. By numbers alone, he is considered one of
the greatest cricketers of all time, of any country. But these days, he means more than the numbers.
Tendulkar's legend was still growing in the 1990s, when India first began to show signs of a rising global power. Goldman Sachs now projects that sometime this century, India will become the third largest economy in the world, after China and the United States. But the Mumbai attacks by Islamic terrorists in November 2008, which some people compare to 9/11, subsided merriment. A press release from the Indian government stated that 164 people and 308 civilians were injured. Then, two and a half years later, India won the World Cup of cricket and 1.2 billion people were able to numb the pains of recent history with celebration. At 37 years old, Tendulkar's career is winding down and this was likely his last World Cup.
Cricket means next to nothing to most American kids. It is only a strange game from a foreign place. Why do they let the ball bounce before they hit it? Why does
the man throw the ball like that? What's up with their funny looking bats?
We grow up playing other sports that correspond, intentionally or not, with the waning attention spans of much of our youth. Some cricket matches last five days. Kids around here have a hard time with two hours of basketball.
However, our nation's lack of passion for the sport does not diminish its importance. In another part of the world, a place distant but not lacking global effect, cricket rules the land.
India is a country commonly associated with intelligence and innovation, and to have a sports icon is to have a new meaning.
Tendulkar may never be part of another Indian World Cup. His disciples, however, may follow his lead and continue to debunk stereotypes.
Edited by Tali David
THIS WEEK IN KANSAS ATHLETICS
TODAY
Tennis
vs. Missouri
4 p.m.
Lawrence
Track
Texas Relays
All Day
Austin, Texas
Baseball
vs. Nebraska
6 p.m.
Hoglund Ballpark
SATURDAY
NBA
Soccer
vs. Minnesota
11:45 a.m.
vs. Iowa
3:15 p.m.
Jayhawk Soccer Complex
Baseball
vs. Nebraska
2 p.m.
Hoglund Ballpark
Softball
vs. Oklahoma St.
2 p.m.
Stillwater, Okla.
Rowing
Knecht Cup
All Day
Camden, N.J.
Track
Texas Relays
All Day
Austin, Texas
Bulls beat Celtics, likely top seed in East
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHICAGO — Derrick Rose scored 30 points and the Chicago Bulls closed in on the top seed in the Eastern Conference by beating the Boston Celtics 97-81 on Thursday.
The Bulls' 17th win in 19 games put them four games up on Boston and Miami with four to play and
eliminated the Heat from getting the No.1 seed.
But barring a collapse, Chicago will be the top seed in the East.
The Celtics, who play the Heat on Sunday, still have a mathematical shot albeit a remote one.
It's another step for a team that expected big things after a major overhaul, and all the Bulls have done is deliver their best season since Michael Jordan and Scottie
Pippen made championship celebrations a regular event.
Rose was a one-man highlight reel against Rajon Rondo, beating him with his crossover and getting to the rim, particularly in the early going. Rose scored 16 points in the first half as the Bulls jumped out to a 48-43 lead, and Chicago regrouped after momentarily falling behind in the third.
Luol Deng scored 23 points, and
Carlos Boozer added 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Chicago outscored the Celtics 44-22 in the paint, outrebounded them 44-35 and held Boston to 38.4 percent shooting.
Paul Pierce led Boston with 15 points. Kevin Garnett scored all 10 of his points in the second half and Rondo finished with seven. Jeff Green scored 10 and Ray Allen had seven points.
SOFTBALL (CONTINUED FROM 10A)
game. The following batters thrived from a series of walks and singles, and then a home run to score a total of six runs.
In the fifth inning of the second game, Ingle was the spark again. She hit a single to get on base and was followed by a walk by freshman utility player Kendra Cullum. Sophomore outfielder Maggie Hull hit a three-run home run to give the Jayhawks a chance to come back. The offense put the team in a position to come back, but the pitching staff fell flat in the defensive
innings.
The Jeyhawks will face No. 21 ranked Oklahoma State this weekend. Oklahoma State is coming off a home run rule 10-2 victory against Missouri State.
"I think our pitchers this weekend need to focus on throwing to the knees and hitting their spots and I think we will be more successful that way," senior catcher Brittany Hile said.
Edited by Samantha Collins
JAYHAWK SUMMER.com KU Summer School Week Enrollment Kick-Off·Please join us!
Tuesday, April 12 Strong Hall lawn 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Play ping pong.
Practice your putting.
Free snacks, bottled water & more.
This event is hosted by KU Continuing Education and Edwards Campus
Thursday, April 14 Strong Hall lawn 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Have your photo taken with Baby Jay: 11-11:30 a.m.
• Free sunglasses, Frisbees, Koozies & other give-aways
• Free pizza while supplies last
• Live remote sponsored by The Lazer 105.9 FM
This event is hosted by KU Continuing Education