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Tuesday, April 15, 1997
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
It bears repeating!
The KU Bioethics Club and KU School of Law present:
Dr. Bill Bartholome, M.D., M.T.S.
Professor of History and the Philosophy of Medicine,
KU School of Medicine
and
Mr. William H. Colby, J.D.
KU Law School graduate and lawyer for Nancy Cruzan in the first right to die case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court
leading a discussion of:
"Living in the Light of Dying"
Tuesday, April 15, 1997, 4:00 pm Parlors, 5th floor, Kansas Union
For questions, contact Kyle Krehbiel or Michael Atha at 331-0070
Apartment & Sublease Guide
MOVING? Need to find a roommate?
Place your ad in the Apartment & Sublease Gui and get results fast. It runs Tuesday, April 22, 1997 It's only $7/col. inch or $6/col. inch with current KUID.
The deadline is Friday, April 18 at 4:00 pm.
Artsy the Ogre wants YOU! To be a part of KU's annual ARTS ON THE BOULEVARD
April 21-25
So if you sing, dance, paint, sculpt play in a band, tell stories, tell jokes, smash things, or do anything else that you'd like to show off,
Call 331-3834
And reserve your spot in KU's premier artistic escapade.
College sports have more class than professionals
Kicking, spitting raping mar pros
College sports are more interesting than professional sports.
I've always thought this, but after a long weekend of deep concentration, I finally know why. Pro sports lack the integrity of college sports. For the most part, professional athletes
the money-hungry, egotistical, glorified criminals. On the other hand, college athletes are intelligent, team-oriented, underappreciated individuals.
My revelation came last week when college golf was on one channel and the PGA was on another. I am une
unlately flipped the remote to the collegians even though they were not nearly as skilled as the pros. But that's what made it interesting. The younger golfers didn't hit every shot perfectly, and the results weren't predictable.
But PGA golf isn't the only pro sport that turns me off. Professional football, basketball and baseball do not interest me, either. I have discovered several characteristics in which college sports reign supreme over the troubled professional leagues:
Money — I relate more to someone who is like me — someone who
looks for change under sofa cushions for a Happy Meal. Why would I want to watch someone who has just purchased an ocean-front condo in suburban Miami? Pros drive brand-new Ferraris, eat at five-star restaurants and sign huge shoe contracts, while the Scot Pollards of the college world drive beat-up '69 Cadillacs, eat at the Burge Union and have trouble finding shoes that fit.
Fans — College sports fans take pride in the team's success and are a part of every victory. But pro fans lack the enthusiasm shown by fans of even the country's worst college teams. When I attended a recent Detroit Pistons game, I was shocked when people left their seats during the game and went to buy popcorn. But that's because pro fans go to games for entertainment, unlike Kansas fans who live and die by every Jayhawk victory.
■ Respect for the game — This one's simple. Pros have none. Dennis Rodman ripped off his sweaty jersey after an ejection, Bryan Cox gave the finger to booing crowds and Roberto
Who picks whom? — The big question is whether the athlete wants to represent a particular team. Professional drafts permit organizations to choose players who may not want to compete for that team. College athletes have hundreds of schools to choose from, which means that those individuals pick the队 that best suits their needs. Lester Earl essentially was drafted by Louisiana State coaches, friends and family, but his heart was in Kansas. Now he is much happier attending the University he dreamed about.
Alomar unjustly spat at an umpire. Where did these athletes learn such antics? It certainly wasn't in college. I can't recall the last time a Kansas athlete was ejected from a contest.
Legal troubles — It seems that pro athletes and the law don't mix. We continually hear of Dallas Cowboys players getting into trouble with drugs and prostitutes. Brian Blades avoided prison for manslaughter. Mike Tyson spent several years in prison for rape, and Jose Mesa recently was acquitted of a similar charge. It seems college athletes don't often face such serious charges. Sure, several members of the Boston College football team were suspended for gambling on games. And yes, Chauncey Billups stole coupons from a bookstore, but those are minor incidents compared to some of the violent cases of the pros.
But if a college athlete does get into serious trouble, such as June Henley or Lawrence Phillips, that news gets top billing on SportsCenter. However, if a pro spends the night in jail, it is almost expected and accepted by the public.
Serious problems with professional athletes need to be addressed by the commissioners of each sport. Harsher suspensions, fines and expulsions could rid professional sports of negative influence. But athletes and fans also must do their best to promote sports in a positive way. Once that is done, maybe, just maybe, I'll watch Rodman, Cox and Alomar again. Until then, I'll only be watching college sports.
Comments? E-mail Dave at dbreiten@kansan.com
Show to go on for in-state rivals
Jayhawks, Wildcats finally will face off
By Harley V. Ratliff
Kansan sportswriter
It will take more than the weather to stop some rivalries.
One week after their game was canceled because of rain, the Kansas Jayhawk baseball team and the Kansas State Wildcats are set to do battle tonight at 7 p.m. at Frank Meyers Field in Manhattan.
It will be the first time this season that the two intrastate rivals will have met.
The Jayhawks will try to carry a renewed sense of confidence into the
contest. After dropping two games to Texas Tech last Saturday, Kansas rebounded with a 5-3 win against the Big 12 Conference-leading Red Raiders.
"They were an impressive team, but there is no surprise about that," Kansas head coach Bobby Randall said. "Beating them was a great confidence boost. We did all the things Sunday that we didn't do Saturday."
Although the game against the Wildcats will not count against the Jayhawks' league record, Randall said his team wouldn't take K-State lightly.
"This is hardly a tune-up game," Randall said. "Kansas State is one of the premier teams in this conference."
While the Wildcats don't rank in the top half of the conference standings,
they bring to the field one of the best offensive players in the league — shortstop Heath Schesser.
Scheser has been the Wildcats' most productive offensive player, batting 399 with 60 RBI and leading the Big 12 in triples. The junior shortstop, who has 12 home runs this season, already has doubled his home run total from last season.
Freshman pitcher Mark Corson will try to ensure that Schesser and the other Wildcats don't get on base. Corson is part of a young Jayhawk squad that is still going through growing pains.
"Our youth showed up on Saturday during the losses," Randall said. "But our young guys have really felt good about how they've played."
KUJH Channel 14, KU's own television station is now taking applications for:
Promotion Director, Production Director. Development Director and all support staff
Applications are available in 2051-A Dole Center and are due April 18.
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