thursday, may 13, 2004
sports
the university daily kansan
3B
Reporting memories will be cherished
All of the graduating senior sportswriters are typically asked to write a column reminiscing on everything that has happened the past four-plus years.
This year, I am one of the two seniors leaving, and it is difficult to think about what to write.
sports commentary
It's been a crazy four years in the world of Kansas sports. We've seen three athletics directors, new football, basketball and baseball coaches and the end of men's swimming and diving and tennis
There's been the retiring of the legendary Marian Washington, the end of a legacy in Roy Williams and great coaching hires around the board. As a writer for the Kansan for two years, I've had the privilege of covering most of these events and meeting a lot of these coaches. While the athletics budget isn't quite up to par with many of the Big 12 Conference schools, the one thing that can be said about the Kansas athletics department is that it has made fantastic hires.
With all of the confusion and changing, it would be easy to be lost in the scuffle, but that was simply not the case. Mark Mangino and Bill Self were excellent hires who will show their true values in the next few years. Ritch Price is a great person and will have the baseball team competing in the
Kevin Flaherty
hflaherty@hansan.com
Big 12 Tournament in no time
Big I2 Routtman Bonnie Henrickson is personable and should excel in Lawrence.
I started as intramural and club sports reporter, which is one of the toughest beats on campus. There is no shortage of teams or events which need coverage or simply want a little bit of exposure.
After that, it was on to sports administration, and Spring 2002 was a heckuva time to start. After a fairly slow semester, Al Bohw was fired and Williams left all within a week's time. Lew Perkins was hired over the summer. He has done an outstanding job reconstructing the department and searching for a plan.
In the fall, I became the Big 12 Conference football reporter, and I've been there ever since. It has been a dream come true, and not many people get a chance to do all of the things I've done in college. I've been everywhere from press row for a match-up of two top-five
basketball teams, to Orlando at the Tangerine Bowl with Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit. I've had interviews with amazing coaches, recruiting gurus and first-round NFL Draft picks. And I've met so many great people along the way. Doug Vance, Mason Logan and Beau White were all easy sports people to work with and all did everything they could to make sure I had everything I needed. Bo Carter at the Big 12 was also a great help.
But it's the people who you interview that you really get to know. Clark McCracken and Prentice Gautt are fantastic human beings who stand for everything that is right about sports. Mangino has an excellent sense of humor at times and tells some funny recruiting stories.
I'd like to give a shout out to Keith Langford for being such a good sport about writing columns and being a great interview. Keith is an intelligent person and symbolizes a true student-athlete.
But in the end, it's about writing to you, the readers of The University Daily Kansan. The Kansan tries to have its finger on the pulse of the KU community, and it does its job. It is always nice to hear back from the readers, so try to take a more active role in making the Kansan your paper.
I've gotten e-mails that were supportive, and I've gotten some that were not so nice, such as one cleverly titled "Dear bag of douche."
As aspiring writers, we appreciate all of them, even the ones bashing our opinions. They help us know what to work on and let us know that somebody is actually reading.
If there's one thing about us sportswriters, we love to talk sports. If you have questions, ask them. If you disagree, let us know. That is the part about writing that is like being an athlete — putting yourself out there. When a player misses a dunk, we curse and swear at them for playing badly. When you read something in the Kansan, the writers either get hate mails, or if you're Ryan Greene, a call to the Free for All. P.S., guys, he's not that bad.
Become more involved in the product. And if you have an opinion, apply for the Kansan staff. We're always looking for new staff members to replace old fogies like me.
The past four years were a whirlwind of memories that I'll never forget.
Flaherty is a Lenexa senior in journalism.
Thank you for reading.
The Associated Press
Missouri confirms pay accusations
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Tony Harvey, top assistant to Missouri basketball coach Quin Snyder, confirmed yesterday that he is accused by the NCAA of giving former player Ricky Clemons $250.
Harvey denied the allegation.
Harry doesn't have I "have not given Ricky any money, period," he told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.
Harvey, 37, also confirmed that Snyder suspended him with pay until the NCAA proceedings, which could last into this fall, are finished.
The NCAA alleged members of the Missouri basketball staff repeatedly broke its rules. The university redacted, or blacked out, names of employees before releasing the 19-page notice of allegations to reporters on Tuesday.
But Harvey acknowledged that he was accused of giving cash to Clemons, a troubled point guard who played a single season at Missouri before being booted from the team last summer amid personal legal problems.
personally engage Harvey said that he found the allegation "amazing," since "I never recruited Clemons. I didn't have anything to do with him."
In an interview yesterday with the Columbia Daily Tribune, Harvey was also critical of Clemons: "From day one, when he stepped on campus, we didn't see eye to eye. Everyone knew we despised each other. The only thing I ever gave him was havoc."
Clemons was recruited by another Snyder assistant, Lane Odom, who is also implicated in some of the NCAA allegations.
On Tuesday, after the NCAA allegations were made public by Missouri, Odom resigned effective immediately, saying he was pursuing"other opportunities."
Harvey and Odom have retained the same attorney, Stu Brown, who said yesterday that both are cooperating with the NCAA. Brown declined to discuss specifics of the allegations.
In media interviews, Clemons and his ex-girlfriend, Jessica Bunge, have asserted the athlete was paid by Missouri coaches. Clemons now lives in North Carolina. His attorney did not immediately return calls yesterday from the AP.
Several media outlets have reported that Harvey won't return to the Missouri sidelines.
return to Harvey told the AP, "I'm not looking for other employment."
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