KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 2010 / SPORTS
27
FOOTBALL MEDIA DAYS
Future is focus for Big 12
BY COREY THIBODEAUX cthibodeaux@kansan.com
The Jayhawks and head coach Turner Gill will be first at the podium today in the final day of Big 12 Football Media Days.
This is the first media availability of the new-look Jayhawks, with expected appearances from senior defensive end Jake Laptad, cornerback Chris Harris and offensive tackle Brad Thorson.
Oklahoma, Colorado and Texas will finish out the three-day media event.
The media days are the introduction to every conference team, previewing the season, reviewing the summer and this year, talking realignment.
First at the podium on Tuesday, day two of Media Days, was Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel. Missouri had talked about leaving the conference back in December, but Pinkel said he knew as much as everybody else about the whole realignment issues.
"I was out of the loop," he said. "I was kind of like you, sitting around to see what was going to happen."
Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said he had always been pro-Big 12. The bulk of his recruits come from Texas and Oklahoma and playing in the Big 12 makes it easy for friends and family to see them play.
Now with the round-robin schedule the Big 12 will have in 2011, teams play everybody each year, guaranteeing four trips to Texas and two to Oklahoma.
"If you're going to have a true conference champion," Gundy said, "I think everybody needs to play each other."
Of course, that leads into bowl eligibility issues.
"I think that the bowls will understand that and take into consideration the strength of schedule," Gundy said. "It's not going to be as easy getting nine and 10 wins."
Kansas State coach B仔 Snyder said he wanted two divisions and to retain the championship game.
"If you go into and survive the championship game, 70 percent of the time you're going to play for a national championship and that makes that pretty special."
But in keeping 10 teams, Kansas State would have its depth issues magnified by playing Texas and Texas Tech every year.
"The Big 12 is tough enough as it is" Snvder said.
Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville joked about being reprimanded by the Big 12 for an interview in which he said less-than-positive things about the conference's future.
"In television, they told us to speak our mind," he said. "I forgot to get that out of mind a few weeks ago."
He seemed more optimistic about the future of the conference than before. He said after getting to know other coaches and athletic directors, there would be a proactive approach to making the Big 12 a success.
"We want to be an all-around conference," Tuberville said, "and we will be because the teams that are still with us are very dedicated and committed to that."
MLS
Short-footed Wizards shock Manchester
BY CARLO RAMIREZ cramirez@kansan.com
The Kansas City Wizards made history by upsetting English Premier League power house Manchester United 2-1 Sunday in front of 52,424 fans — and did so with a man down for the majority of the game.
The Wizards established themselves early when team captain Davy Anraud made a run behind United's defense and was met by a pass from teammate Kei Makara for the game's first goal in the 11th minute. The Wizards, enthused by the energetic home crowd, kept pressuring United and did not let up the intensity.
In the 39th minute, United's Ryan Giggs sent a through ball between the Wizards' back line defenders to forward Dimitar Berbatov for what would had been the equalizing goal, but Berbatov was taken out by Wizards defender Jimmy Conrad. The referee wasted no time showing Conrad a red card. The result of the foul was a game-tying goal scored by Berbatov on the penalty kick.
The crowd saw nothing wrong with the foul and pelted the referee with boos for his decision to eject Conrad.
for Conrad's ejection when replays showed the ball may not have crossed the goal line.
The Wizards had only 10 men to United's 11 world-class players, but it didn't affect the outcome of the game — thanks in large part to the Wizard's substitute goal keeper Eric Kronberg, who denied any United player who tried to spoil the Wizards'
Those boos quickly switched to cheers when Wizards forward Kamara scored the go-ahead goal and put Kansas City up 2-1. It seems the Wizards were given a break
historical night. Kronberg's brilliant performance held off any last push United made at tying the game.
The final whistle blew and it was official: Major League Soccer's Kansas City Wizards, currently fifth in the Eastern Conference, handed Manchester United its first loss on its North American tour.
United's legendary head coach
Alex Ferguson said in a news release that he was very impressed by the Wizards' athletic play and saw great potential for years to come.
"When we came here the last time, it wasn't nearly as big as it is today," Ferguson said. "So there is a general improvement, but there are big strides to make. I think 10 years from now you'll see better results."
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Buckeyes to visit Fieldhouse in 2011
The Jayhawk men's basketball team has scheduled a marquee home-and-home series starting in the 2011-2012 season, taking on Thad Matta's Ohio State Buckeyes.
The Buckeyes — Big Ten champions in 2010 — will visit Lawrence in 2011 and the Jayhawks will return the trip the next season.
The game will pit two of college basketball's greatest coaches against each other. Ohio State has been stellar under Matta, who has a 156-54 record and an NCAA Tournament runner-up since taking over at the school in 2004.In his decade as a head coach at Butler and Xavier before Ohio State — Matta has made nine NCAA tournaments and won the NIT the one year that he missed.
The 2011 game will add to an already loaded non-conference schedule for the Jayhawks. They have a visit to the University of Southern California scheduled and will also play in the Maui Invitational in Maui, Hawaii.
— Tim Dwyer
Bill Self has been even better at Kansas, with a 202-43 record and an NCAA title.