SPORTS
University Daily Kansan / Thursday, December5, 1991
13
Sands wins Big Eight player of year honor
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tony Sands, a thimble-sized running back from Kansas who closed his career by smashing the NCAA single-game rushing record,Edgard Nebrasa quarterback Keith McCant by one vote yesterday for Associated Press Big Eight offensive player of the year.
The 5-foot-6, 175-pound Sands, who led the Big Eight in rushing, collected six votes from a panel of 16 media observers. McCant, who emerged from obscurity to top the Light in rushing, led the Husker to a share of the league title had five.
Oklahoma linebacker Joe Bowden,
the best player on the Big Eight's
toughest defense, was an easy winner
for AP defensive player of the year.
Colorado quarterback Darian Hagan had three votes for offensive player honors. Derek Brown of Alabama and Gaddis of Oklahoma each had one
Tony Sands
Calvin Jones, Nebraska's redshirt freshman who gained 294 yards and
scored     si touchdowns it one game, wa an overwhelming winner in voting for offe sive newcomer of the year. For defensive new comer, voters chose Kansai f res h m a r linebacker Steve Harvey.
Sands' choice was no doubt a surprise to many observers despite his many achievements. Certainly others are bigger and faster than the little Kansan, who also is admired for being a good student and model citizen.
"I'm sure some of those guys are better players, but there's not a better story than that kid," said Kansas coach Glen Mason. "I think he's for college football. We're not supposed to be a breeding ground for the NFL."
A Fort Lauderdale. Fla...native who
Steve Harvey
could not interest any of the Southeastern powers because of his size, Sands was one of the first recruits Mason signed when he became coach Jaya Nayak J a y h a w k Team he went
on to lead Kansas in rushing four straight years and set a swarm of school records, including most yards and in a career and most touchdowns.
He led the Big Eight this year with
1,442 yards, averaging almost 132 per
golf.
But he saved his best for last. Against a Missouri defense weakened by injury, Sands carried an NCAA-record 58 times for an NCAA-correspondent that gave the Jayhawks (6-5) their first winning season in a decade.
"If they're worried about him holding up, they don't have to be," Mason said. "I've seen him take some of the toughest hits any body ever took."
Still, Sands' size no doubt will scare off many pro scouts.
Harvey was one of the most highly-skilled recruits Kansas has signed in years and the 6-4, 235-pound met all expectations. Starting the last eight games, he had 44 tackles and 32 kills in four fumbles and had one interception.
The Cornhusker's 5-11, 205-pound Jones played behind Brown, a firstteam All-Big Eight selection, but came off the bench when Brown was named third in the school-record 294 yards and a Big Eight-record six touchdowns.
"He certainly has all the ability you can ask a back to have," said assistant head coach Frank Soich. "He's got somewhat deceiving speed because he's so big. I don't think people feel he's moving quite as quickly as he is, especially with his smooth running style."
Snyder named top coach
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Bill Snily, whose turnaround of the long-suffering Kansas State football program has stopped talk of dropping the school out of Division I-A, yesterday was named the Associated Press Big Eight coach of the year for the second straight season.
In Snyder's second season a year ago, the Wildcats went 5-6, exceeding their victory total for the previous five years combined. This season they record was 94, which their highest victory (that in 37 years).
next week, a 32-0 shutout of Missouri, gave the Wildcats back-toback victories over Big Eight teams for the first time in 21 years.
Their four conference victories were the most for a K-State team since 1970.
As the losingest program in major college history, there has been talk during the past 10 years of Big Ten football competition. Big Eight football competition
But all such talk has ceased.
Things haven't been this upbeat in Manhattan since the 1969 Wildcats scaled Oklahoma 59-21.
"Seven-four is not the ultimate.
It's not anything that most coaches are going to jump up and get excited about." Snyder said. "But it was something special to these kids, who have had relegated their self respect."
Nash takes on new team role
Forward now leads reserves in scoring
When forward Molacm Nash entered a game last season, it usually signaled that Kansas had the game in hand. As a junior, he played just four minutes a game in 20 contests.
But Nash was determined to make his senior season different.
"My attitude changed, he said. "I knew we kids coming in, and this is my last go-ahead."
Nash, 6-foot-7 and 210 pounds, hit the
wheel and worked on his game during the
summer and fall.
"I'm more focused on what I'm doing. I have some high expectations of myself this
"I got stronger," Nash said. "I worked on my shot, and I have a lot more confidence.
Nash said he surprised his teammates in pickup games during the summer.
Nash's preseason efforts were a pleasant surprise for the Kansas coaches as well. His hard work has translated into more playing time. He averages 11 minutes a game.
"This summer, he improved a lot," senior enzo Jarnison said. "You could see the changes."
"The The. 1 thing he's shown me is it means more to him," Coach Roy Williams said. "I see more of a concentrated effort. I really think that the coach helped on his errors and foul's made in the past."
Nash committed 16 fouls in 77 minutes last year. He has committed just three fouls this season.
After being one of the last men off the bench in season, Nash has become a leader of the team.
Senior forward Malcolm Nash goes up against Richard Scott during a recent practice Nash worked on his shot and lifted weights to prepare for this season.
His 63 percent scoring average is the highest on the Kansas bench. He also leads the bench in scoring, averaging six points a game. Perhaps even more importantly, his average of 3.3 rebounds a game is the fifth highest rebound average on the team.
Nash's efforts have not gone unnoticed by his teammates.
"This year we've got a lot of new guys," Jamison said. "The guys with experience have to step up. He's going to be one of our biggest assets."
When Nash checked in during the final minutes of home games last year, he received rousing cheers from the Allen Field House crowd. The fans fans might see a lot more of the forward.
"I think they were shocked when they first saw me coming in in the first half," Nash said.
"I want to thank the fans for sticking behind them so they could have easily forgotten about me."
"They rooted me on and built my confidence. I'm going to give them everything I've got this year."
Kansas teams under Williams have relied heavily on the bench in a system prone to mass substitutions. The coach said he was pleased with his reserves this season.
lot," Williams said. "They've been very important to us and have won a bunch of games for us.
*All three years we've played our bench a
"I'd be shocked if at the end of this year we didn't say the same thing."
Nash is happy with filling that role.
"My goal this year is to come off the bench and spark the team." he said.
Kansas volleyball gets bid to tourney
Championship is team's first post-season bid
By Jeff Kobs
Kansas Sportswriter
Byssen Robs
Kansan Sportswriter
"If you're in, they call; if you're not, they call."
By no. 10, we're starting to give call numbers. By no. 20, we're starting to give
She was waiting for a call from the sele-
cional national Invitational Voleyball Club.
Albiz received the good news a little after 10.
Sunday night, Kansas volleyball coach
pinkie Albitz stayed home to guard her
physiology
The appearance will be the first by a post-
agency team in a national postse-
gmentation.
The Jayhawks will open the tournament in Dayton, Ohio, at 11a.m. today against Northern Arizona.
The tournament will have four pools of five teams. Each team is guaranteed four match-
The Jayhawks second match will be at 4 p.m. against the University of Miami of Florida.
The team with the best record in each pool will be championship round, which will be Saturday.
Tomorrow, Kansas will face North Carolina-Ashville at 9 a.m. and Hofstra at 3 p.m.
Senior Adrian Powell said it would be good to play teams the Hawjahws had not played
*Our team sometimes does better when we play teams we aren't familiar with.* Powell
"We're going to concentrate on pool play
first and then go from there."
The Jayhawks lost in the first round of the Big Eight tournament to Colorado and did not receive an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament.
Kansas finished the regular season in third
season. The Jayhawks (finished 2-8 overall)
(engines).
She also said that it had been a good senior year and that the tournament would be a good way to end the season.
"The Big Eight is a good volleyball conference," Powell said. "I don't think we can expect to play a team harder than Nebraska.
"We have a lot of confidence going in."
"Some of the adjustments we made recently didn't work too well," she said. "We're going back to our normal blocking and defense. It has worked well for us."
Albizt had the tournament appearance would benefit Kansas volleyball.
Albitz said Kansas would concentrate on its own game plan for the championships.
"I think the main thing is the exposure of my players to this type of situation and type of teams," she said. "Especially for the older players, it will help out for next year."
Sophomore Cyndee Kanabel said the tour-
nament experience would help offset the loss
of money.
"it's a big incentive to do well next year because we know what it's like to win," she said. "It will be a good motivator.
"It feels really good to be a part of this type of program."
The Associated Press
NCAA won't consider proposal for national championship game
TAMPA, Fla. - The NCAA won't consider a proposal by the Home Shopping Network to stage a national championship game in college football next month at Tampa Stadium.
HSNE Events, which is owned by the Home Shopping Network, asked the NCAA to consider a Jan. 18 playoff game that would be shown on pay-per-view television and generate an estimated $30 million for the NCAA and member schools.
But NCAA representative Jim Marchiony said it was too late to add the proposal to the agenda of the next NCAA convention, which will take place Jan. 7-10.
"Any kind of NCAA championship has to be created by a vote of the membership at an NCAA convention," Marchionty told the Port Lauderdale Times. "The idea that this could be voted on would be January of 1983."
Rick Kulis, president of HSNE Events, said the group originally hoped to hold its first college playoff after the 1992 or 1993 seasons. But he said HSNE decided to move up its timetable because of the close race this year between No. 1 Miami and Notre Dame, the only undefeated teams in the country.
Under the HSNE proposal, each team would receive $4 million and the NCAA would get $6 million. Each of the other 104 Division I-A schools would get $150,000.
Statement urges AIDS testing for NHL
The Associated Press
"For your own peace of mind, I don't see why anyone would not want to be tested," Gretzyk said in Vancouver, Canada. "I can't see any player biography. I would like to see the NHL become pioneers and be a professional sport to help forward and make it (testing) mandatory."
Wayne Gretzky, the National Hockey League's all-time leading scorer, yesterday threw his support behind mandatory testing for
NHL president John Ziegler disagreed with Gretzel. He said teams should provide the opportunity for players to be confidentially tested for the virus associated with ADDS because there must be no mandatory tests.
In the statement, Ziegler said the recent announcement by basketball star Magic Johnson, who retired from the Los Angeles Lakers upon discovering he had tested positive for the AIDS virus, has produced a greater awareness and apprehension of the problem.
A brief statement, issued Nov. 19 to the league's general managers, was released to the media yesterday from Florida, where the league's board of governors is meeting.
"We should expect and understand that the players will have concerns and questions," the statement said. "I urge and recommend to each of you to provide to your players the opportunity to be tested voluntarily and confidentially, if they so choose."
"There must be no mandatory testing. Your team physician should be available (or someone he recommends who is qualified) to provide explanation, guidance, counseling, etc.
"Along with these measures, we have asked our physicians' association to provide us with a summary of potential risks to NHL players as educational information which may be circulated to all clubs."
Ryan Walter, who plays for Vancouver and is vice-president of the NHL Players Association, said the issue created a dilemma.
"The problem isn't mandatory testing." Walter said yesterday in Montreal. "It's knowing what to do if ever a player tests positive.
"Are we going to allow him to continue to play, even though he risks passing it on to other players during a fight or if he's injured?"
Pat Quinn, president and head coach of the Vancouver Canucks, suggested that mandatory testing might be the route to take.
"Hockey is a game where blood gets splattered around," Quinn said. "Certainly, it saindream how it's going to be handled. Something has to be done. Mandatory testing ... is probably the right thing to do."
The debate follows a claim by Dr. Clement Olivier of Montreal that a female patient who died of AIDS two years ago had sex with at least 50 ML players. Olivier said the woman had not named players.
Bill would ban pay-per-view
U. S. Rep. William Lipinski said yesterday that he would introduce legislation to ban pay-per-view television of sports events at public facilities.
"I refuse to let American athletic events become a luxury only the rich can afford."
SPORTS BRIEFSE
The Chicago Democrat was angered when word leaked out last month that ABC was considering putting the Nov. 16 election before its release, pay-per-view TV. That deal fell through.
"It's almost prohibitive for families to attend sporting events," he said. "The only way for families to see sports events together is on television. We're going to lose a great deal in this country if we allow any-per-view to develop."
His proposed bill would ban pay- view TV at public colleges and other facilities built or maintained with tax money.
Several other pieces of legislation, aimed at banning pay-per-view TV at specific sporting events, have been introduced butgress but have not been voted into law.
Vikings coach Burns to retire
Jerry Burns will retire as coach of the Minnesota Vikings after the 1991 season, the team confirmed yesterday.
Burns had indicated in recent weeks that he would not return.
The Vikings, who are 6-7, play at Tampa Bay on Sunday and after that will play the Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers at home.
"Jerry and I had a meeting this morning, and he related to me his desire to step down at the end of the season," Roger Heckrick, Vikings president, said.
"After a period of time, I just decided that I'd had enough of coaching." Burns said in a statement released by the team. "I've known for some time that I would like to see them get better, but was the time to clarify my position and let people know of my decision."
"Despite Jerry's decision to step down, our immediate focus remains the same: to win our next three games, to make the playoffs and then to see what sort of success we can achieve after that," Headrick said.
Roberts dealt to the Reds
San Diego Padres infielder-outfielder Bip Roberts says he was told by his agent that he will soon be dealt to the Cincinnati Reds for reliever Randy Myers.
"I'm no longer a Padre, and that's kind of sad," Roberts told the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday night. "But I get a new start, in a new organization, and I can't wait."
"I'm going to play for a new team and a field manager that's respected in baseball. I'm also looking forward to going to a baseball town. It gives you that extra motivation to play well."
Roberts told the San Diego Tribune that his agent, Scott Boras, said the deal would be made before the annual winter game and will begin this weekend in Miami Beach, Fla.
Myers, who is in Hawaii for a Player's Association meeting, told The Associated Press by telephone yesterday afternoon that he had not heard from his New York-based agent, David Fishof.