DRUG ABUSE
The use of painkillers is so widespread in the NFL that a few players trade game tickets for black-market pills, The New York Times reported yesterday.
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN SPORTS
The newspaper reported that dozens of players, coaches and league executives surveyed for the story estimate that as much as 10 percent of the NFL's 1,500 players have serious addiction problems.
Many surveyed were quoted anonymously and said that the addictions often resulted from pills obtained from those outside the team and its medical staff. Some players get pills from representatives of pharmaceutical companies in exchange for game tickets, access to locker rooms or invitations to parties. The use of unprescribed painkillers and anti-inflammatories is illegal, and the NFL tests for those substances.
HORSE BREEDER DIES OF CANCER
JOHN LANDRY, the founder of the Marboro Cup and a board member of the New York Racing Association, died yesterday of cancer. He was 73. In the 1950s, Landry
owned and bred horses. He started the Marlboro Cup, one of the big races on the New York racing calendar. Landry was placed on the association's board of trustees in 1993.
MONDAY APRIL 14, 1997
INJURED CUB
Chicago Cubs second baseman RYNE SAND-BERG received a cut on his right ear when he was hit by a baseball while sitting in the dugout during the fourth inning of yesterday's game against Atlanta.
Sandberg, struck by teammate Brant Brown's line drive, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for further evaluation.
After he was hit, Sandberg held a towel to the side of his head while he was being examined by team physician Dr. Michael Schafer. Sandberg was then helped out of the dugout and into the clubhouse.
He was replaced at second base by Jose Hernandez.
SECTION B
Woods becomes youngest Masters winner in history
Augusta, Ga. — Tiger Woods, 21,
became the youngest person by two
years to win the Masters Tournament,
closing with a
69 and finishing at an 18-under par 270.
His victory also was the first
MASTERS: More info from Tiger's big day. Page 4B
time an African American won any major professional golf tournament,
Woods broke the Masters record for winning margins yesterday when he defeated Tom Kite by 12 strokes. His margin not only beat the Masters record by three strokes, but it also was the greatest winning margin in any major since 1862.
Texas Tech fails to report potential NCAA infractions
HOUSTON — Texas Tech didn't notify the NCAA after learning that several athletes had made unauthorized long-distance telephone calls last year, the Houston Chronicle reported yesterday.
Failing to investigate and report potential rule infractions to the NCAA can be deemed a major violation.
Japanese silver medalist in Olympic pole vault dies
School telephone records show that at least 22 long-distance calls from athletic conference-room extensions were made during the evening hours in February 1996 to phone numbers of individuals connected with basketball and football players. The records also show that more than 60 long-distance calls from October 1995 to March 1996 were made to football player Eric Butler's relatives and friends.
The university's correspondence with the NCAA since February 1996 makes no mention of potential rule violations involving long-distance phone calls.
TOKYO — Shubu Nishida, Japan's two-time Olympic pole vault silver medalist, died at a hospital yesterday night. He was 87.
Nishida won his first silver medal at the 1932 Los Angeles Games with a Japanese record of 14 feet and 11/4 inches, only one-quarter inch behind William Miller of the United States.
Nishida earned his second silver medal at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, vaulting 13-11/1/4, behind Earle Meadows of the United States, who set an Olympic record of 14-11/4
Nishida's mark at Berlin was the same as countryman Sueo Oe, who received the bronze medal, although rules should have recorded the two as sharing second place.
The two had their medals cut in half and joined to leave each with a half-silver, half-bronze medal.
Nishida was chief executive of the Japan Amateur Athletic Federation in the 1950s and 1960.
Canadian wins Argentine Grand Prix for sixth victory
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Jacques Villeneuve, weakened by a stomach aliment and doubting his stamina, won the Argentine Grand Prix yesterday in his second straight triumph.
The Canadian began the race on the pole and beat Eddie Invine by less than a second. Villeneuve was timed in 1 hour, 52 minutes, 1.715 seconds and managed to hold off Invine, who tried to pass him with four laps remaining.
The victory was the sixth of Villeneuve's career, matching the total of his father, Gilles, who was killed in a crash at the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix.
It also gave the Williams-Renault driver a 1.0-point lead in the drivers' standings. He also won in Brazil March 30.
The Associated Press
Women's tennis triumphs
Weekend victories bring Big 12 title within reach
By Andy Rohrback
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas women's tennis team extended its Big 12 Conference winning streak to eight meets this weekend with victories against Iowa State and Colorado.
The No. 40 Jayhawks beat Iowa State 9-0 Saturday in Ames, Iowa, and defeated Colorado 8-1 yesterday at Alvamar Racquet Club.
The victories place the Jayhawks in contention for the conference title, currently split between two undefeated teams, No. 4 Texas and No. 23 Texas A&M. Both teams will come to Lawrence next weekend, and if the Jayhawks win both meets, they will capture the conference title.
Christie Sim said that the team was ready for the high-caliber competition they will face next week.
"I always like playing a lot of tough competition," Sim said. "We have confidence, and it's on our home turf, which helps. I think we match up well against them."
Sim also said the extreme importance of the two meets would work to the advantage of the Jayhawks, who have a history of coming through in pressure situations.
"We've played the toughest schedule in the world," Sim said. "Going down to crunch time, we're the ones who always end up on top."
Crunch time came for the Jay-
hawks last night as Colorado
picked up the first set in three out
of the first four singles matches.
Sim, playing at the No. 1 position, fell 6-0 in the first set. She then built up a 4-1 lead in the second set before her opponent defaulted because of illness.
Kris Sell lost her first set 3-6 but won with sets of 6-3 and 6-2. Amy Trytak couldn't rebound and was defeated 6-3, 6-2. Brooke Chiller was the only Jayhawk to win in straight sets, 6-1, 6-0.
Julia Sidorova won her match at the No. 5 position with a score of 6-3, 1-6, 6-4, and No. 6 singles player Maria Atajoglu sealed up the Kansas victory 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.
Kansas won all three doublels matches. Chiller and Trytek won 8-5. Sim and Sell won 8-5, and Abatogio and Sidorova won 8-3.
The Jayhawkins will need all the preparation they can get going into next weekend's matches against Texas and Texas A&M, said coach Roland Thornqvist.
"That's going to be a tough match," he said. "Everybody knows that Texas is the favorite to win. When we tee it off Saturday, we have nothing to lose."
Still, the Jayhawks have many elements in their favor. Thornqvist said confidence is one of those elements.
"When you take a bunch of losses early in the year and learn from them and rebound like we have and play your best tennis at this point, it does help," Thornovist said.
AllAmerican Kylie Hunt, who redshirted this season to recover from reconstructive knee surgery, said the team showed promise.
Eric B. Howell/KANSAN
Amy Trytek concentrates on her backhand in singles play against the University of Colorado Buffaloes. Trytek lost a closely contested battle 6-3, 6-2.
'Hawks weather rain
Sunshine allows players to kickoff first scrimmage
Kansan sportswriter
By Tommy Gallagher Kansan sportswriter
Inclemend weather has plagued the Kansas football team during the first two weeks of spring practice and forced the cancellation of a scrimmage on Saturday morning.
The Jayhawks had their scrimmage yesterday afternoon. They enjoyed sunny skies and warmer temperatures, which Kansas football coach Terry Allen had hoped for during practices.
"I'm not used to standing out there in the rain and wind," Allen said. "I guess we have to play in it half of the time anyway."
Kansas quarterback Matt Johner took 22 snaps and was 4-for-8 passing. He scrambled four times, fumbled two snaps and bumped into a running back while attempting to hand off the football. Kansas quarterback Zac Wegner was 7-for-8 passing. His lone incompletion was a dropped pass by a wide receiver.
During the 61-play scrimmage, there were 13 penalties, including six false starts. It was Kansas' first scrimmage of spring practice.
"The ones that say they like to get in the pads and knock are the ones more apt to knock people around," Chandler said. "It's never fun to be knocked around. I realized that today."
The hardest hit of the day was delivered by linebacker Tyrus Fontenot. He leveled wide receiver Michael Chandler, who made the reception on a five-yard crossing pattern.
Yesterday's scrimmage was the first time since last Tuesday that the team had practice. A practice on Thursday was rescheduled for Friday, but rain washed out plans for practice both days.
The Jayhawks have completed six of eight scheduled practices during the spring. The team has 30 days to complete 15 practices, which Allen viewed as important for a number of reasons.
Allen said he and the new coaching staff have had to evaluate player personnel during these practices. They want to have a two-deep depth chart at the conclusion of spring practice so that players may know their roles
He said the players have had a limited amount of time to learn new offensive and defensive schemes while battling for starting roles and reserve positions before practice resumes in August.
After a day off, wide receiver John Gordon reaches for a pass. Yesterday's sunny sky allowed the football team to run through drills and play a scrimmage.
onthe team.
Allen never had to weather outdoor conditions at Northern Iowa. At Northern Iowa, the Panthers used a dome for home games and practices.
"What was really great about the indoor practice facility was that it provided you with a teaching lab," Allen said. "I'm used to blowing the whistle and getting everybody's attention instead of having to run over the wind and the noise."
Track team battles cold to compete
By Matt Woodruff
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas track and field team braved bone-chilling temperatures on Saturday and competed at the Tom Botts Invitational in Columbia, Mo.
"Anybody that came out of this meet with a mark near or above their average performance this season should be commended," Kansas coach Gary Schwartz said. "It shows they can go into adverse conditions, stay focused and be competitive."
Among those who ignored the bitter cold and turned in strong performances were sprinter Eugene Coleman and pole vaulters Garrett Attig and Jon Colby Miller.
Coleman won the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.87 seconds. He and teammates Grady Blackmon, David Henderson and Nate Hill won the 4x400 relay in 3:18.59.
Garrett Attig, who is the son of Kansas assistant coach Rick Attig and was competing in his first meet since transferring from Southern Illinois, won the pole vault with a jump of 15 feet. Miller finished right behind him with a mark of 14 feet, 6 inches.
Brad Schepers set a personal best in the discus with a toss of 51.54 meters, and James Riddle set a personal record in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.77 seconds. Both took second place in their events.
Andy Tate ran in his first-ever steeplechase and earned a fourthplace finish with a time of 9:35.17.
"the steeplechase is not exactly an event you want to run when it's
"Anybody that came out of this meet with a mark near or above their average performance this season should be commended."
Gary Schwartz Kansas track coach
90 below zero." Schwartz said.
"But Andy did a very, very good job and had a good first race."
Other second-place finishers for the men were Pierre Lisk in the 100-meters (10.61). Henderson in the 400 intermediate hurdles (59.00) and Paul Tan in the triple jump (14.33 meters).
Top finishers on the women's side were Carleen Roberts, who placed second in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles (1:06.26):
Amy Cook, second in the 400 (59.98); Madinah Hazim, second in the 200-meters (25.98); and Candy Mason and Shanna Shoemaker, who tied for second in the high jump (5-3).