what we heard
"It isn't worth, frankly, having a debate about."
Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig on Spider-Man 2 advertising on the field at Major League Baseball games.
off the bench
2B the university daily kansan
friday,may 7,2004
NFL
Atlanta signs Whittemore with two-year contract
Another Kansas football player will have a shot at playing pro football.
The contract is for two years, contingent upon Whittemore making the Falcons roster.
Former Kansas quarterback Bill Whitemore has signed a contract with the Atlanta Falcons.
Whittemore will report to the Falcons off-season training program May 16 and then will go to training camp in July. Being invited to camp makes Whittemore eligible for NFL Europe next season.
— Kansan staff reports
League decides to pull Spider-Man ads off field
MLB
NEW YORK - Spider-Man ads on bases didn't fly with baseball fans.
A day after announcing a novel promotion to put advertisements on bases next month, Major League Baseball reversed course Thursday and eliminated that part of its marketing deal for Spider-Man 2.
"It isn't worth, frankly, having a debate about," commissioner Bud Selig said in Oakland before the Yankees-Athletics game.
"I'm a traditionalist," he said. "The problem in sports marketing, particularly in baseball, is you're always walking a very sensitive line. Nobody loves tradition and history as much as I do."
After Selig and others heard the back lash, Spider-Man got picked off base.
"The bases were an extremely small part of this program," said Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer. "How ever, we understand that a segment of our fans was uncomfortable with this particular component and we do not want to detract from the fan's experience in any way."
Under the original plan, red-and yellow ads were to appear on bases
but not home plate—during games from June 11-13. The plan began to crumble Wednesday night when the New York Yankees said they would only allow the ads on bases during batting practice—and only for one game that weekend.
The Associated Press
FOOTBALL
Kansas City's Shields mixes with kids at Boys Town event
BOYS TOWN, Neb. — All-Pro football player Will Shields of the Kansas City Chiefs appeared touched by one of the questions asked him during his visit to the famed Girls and Boys Town.
Shields told the students that he went through many of the same trials and tribulations they have when he was growing up. He said he wants to give back to society by helping troubled youth, which fits the description of most of Boys Town's 800 residents.
Shields, the guest speaker at Boys Town's annual booster banquet, has earned national acclaim for his good works, particularly for his Will To Succeed Foundation that assists battered women and disadvantaged children in the Kansas City area.
The Associated Press
Warner could find home with New York Giants
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.—The New York Giants are thinking about signing quarterback Kurt Warner if the two-time NFL MVP is released by the St. Louis Rams in a salary-cap move.
"We've been talking," Mark Bartelstein, Warner's agent, said in a telephone interview Thursday.
Bartelstein has spoken with six or seven teams about signing Warner since the Rams gave him permission to shop for a deal for the quarterback who led St. Louis to a Super Bowl championship in the 1999 season.
Warner's future in St. Louis became very uncertain this week when the Rams signed Marc Bulger to a four-year contract.
It's unlikely Warner will take a pay cut to stay with the Rams, and it's even more unlikely he will enjoy being Bulger's backup again.
Coming to the Giants, however, also would page questions.
New York seemingly wants to start Eli Manning, the top pick last month in the NFL draft. The Giants cut Kerry Collins last week, taking $8.95 million off the team's salary cap this season.
The Associated Press
HOCKEY
Agent: Danton was delusional, using painkillers, sleeping pills
ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Blues forward Mike Danton was delusional and using painkillers and sleeping pills in the hours before he allegedly tried to hire a hit man to kill an acquaintance, Danton's agent said.
Several reports, citing anonymous police sources, have identified agent David Frost as Danton's intended target
Frost reiterated in an interview with The Associated Press Thursday his belief that he was not the target.
Danton remains jailed in Clinton County, Ill., near St. Louis. A hearing on Friday will determine if he will be eligible for bail.
Danton pleaded not guilty to federal murder-for-hire charges Tuesday. His trial was scheduled for July 20. His alleged accomplice, 19-year-old Katie Wolfmeyer of suburban St. Louis, is free on $100,000 bond. Her trial was set for July 13.
The Associated Press
Kansas athletics calendar
Dive right in
TODAY
Baseball at Texas 6:30 p.m.
SATURDAY
Brent Carter/Kansan
Softball vs. Iowa State 2 p.m.
Baseball at Texas 2 p.m.
Softball vs. Iowa State 1 p.m.
Baseball at Texas 1 p.m.
SUNDAY
Casey Topol, Mamaroneck, N.Y., sophomore, practiced her back dives yesterday in the Robinson Center with the KU swimming and diving team. The team held its annual banquet last Sunday and awarded five top honors to senior Whitney Sondall and junior Amy Gruber.
Free for All
What's with all of these Chicago people liking the Cubs? Where is the White Sox love? I love the White Sox.
Call 864-0500
I saw Michael Lee walking around wearing his own jersey. How lame is that?
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How many times is Ryan Greene going to look at the new recruits for next year? Can we please get some new material?
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