2B
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2008
trivia of the dav
Q: When was the last time the Philadelphia 76ers were in the NBA Playoffs?
Sack full of fun
A: The 2004-2005 season when the seventh-seeded 76ers fell to the second-seeded Detroit Pistons in five games in the first round. The two teams are playing again in this year's playoffs with the same seeds. The only starters who remain from the 2005 team are guard Andre Iguodala and center Samuel Dalembert.
basketball-reference.com
on tv tonight
MLB:
Cleveland at Kansas City Royals, 7 p.m., FSN
NBA:
Dallas at New Orleans, 6 p.m., TNT
Phoenix at San Antonio, 8:30 p.m., TNT
Women's Softball:
—Team USA vs. Oklahoma
State, 6:30 p.m., ESPN2
Women's Softball:
"The last bunny, that was a bucket I should've made. I'm going to take this one on the chin."
quote of the dav
Taqwa Johnson left, Halinah Johnson, Jabreil Muhammad, and Samuel Muhammad take part in a sack race on Sunday, during the Earth Day celebration hosted by Kent State University Stark Campus in North Canton, Ohio.
- Detroit Pistons forward Rashad Wallace on his team's 98-87 loss to the 76ers Sunday
ASSOCIATED PRESS
TODAY
calendar
Softball vs. UMKC,
4 p.m., Kansas City,
Mo.
WEDNESDAY
Baseball vs. Kansas Wesleyan, 6 p.m., Lawrence
Softball vs. UMKC,
6 p.m., Kansas City,
Mo.
Baseball vs. Wichita State, 7 p.m., Wichita
fact of the day
On April 2, 2006, Andre Igudoda pledged to donate $500 for every point, rebound and assist he recorded against the New York Knicks to a tornado relief fund in his hometown of Springfield, Ill. He exploded for 20 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds — good for $19,000 in donations. The 76ers also pounded the Knicks, 114-95.
nba.com
OLYMPICS
Japan has decided to start the upcoming Olympic torch relay in a Nagao, Japan parking lot, officials said Monday. After a major Buddhist temple backed out of the event because of security concerns and sympathy for Tibetans, Olympic officials were forced to come up with an alternate location.
Japan moves Olympic torch relay to new parking lot site
On Friday, Buddhist monks at the centuries-old Zenkoji temple refused to host the start of the relay, which has been a magnet for critics of China's human rights record and its recent crackdown in Tibet after anti-government riots there.
TOKYO — Japan has decided to start the upcoming Olympic torch relay in a parking lot, officials said Monday, after a major Buddhist temple backed out of the event over security concerns and sympathy for Tibetans.
Nagano city officials now plan to start the April 26 leg of the run at a city-owned parking lot, said Yuya Kobayashi at the city planning committee for the relay.
The new site is part of a government district about half a mile from the initial site and would not affect the distance of the relay or security planning. Kobavashi said.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
"We were pressed for time but were able to find an alternative site nearby," he said. "Fortunately, we hardly have to change our initial plans."
Vandals over the weekend spray painted the temple with white paint after it announced it would not host the relay's start, though officials would not say whether the two events were related.
In Malaysia on Monday, 1,000
police stood ready to guard the relay against protests. A Buddhist group held special prayers at a Kuala Lumpur temple for a trouble-free torch run and a peaceful Olympics in August.
Since protesters disrupted the torch's stops in London, Paris and San Francisco, its more recent legs in South America, Africa and Asia have been relatively troublefree.
JAKARTA, Indonesia -
Fear of protests results in invitation-only torch relay
Indonesia will stage a shortened, invitation-only Olympic torch relay under heavy security Tuesday to thwart any anti-China protests, organizers said.
The steps were taken after pressure from the Chinese Embassy, organizing committee head Sumohadi Marsis told a media conference Monday.
The event was originally scheduled to follow a route through the center of the capital, Jakarta, but will now take place on streets outside a sports stadium, he said.
Marsis said around 5,000 guests would watch the 4-mile relay, but that members of the public would be barred. "We have to make it limited," he said.
The relay will not be televised live, apparently because no station was prepared to pay for the rights, Marsis said.
Criticism of China's human rights record has turned the Olympics into one of the most contentious in recent history.
Protests have dogged the torch relay during its stops in Paris, London and San Francisco.
with demonstrations over China's crackdown in Tibet where it forcefully put down anti-government riots.
On Monday, police arrested three members of a Japanese family during the relay in Malay-
sla after they waved a Tibetan flag, police and witnesses said.
The only other country to make the event invite-only so far was Pakistan, which cited security fears.
Police in Indonesia had warned
of possible protests by pro-Tibet activists, Falun Gong spiritual movement practitioners and others. Marsis said 2,500 police officers will be on duty.
Associated Press
NASCAR
Earnhardt, Jr., seeks return to Victory Lane at Talladega Speedway
BY JENNA FRYER ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It's been 70 long races — almost two full years — since Dale Earnhardt Jr. won a race that mattered.
That's very likely about to change.
As NASCAR's biggest star quietly puts together a solid start to his first season at Hendrick Motorsports, he heads into a strong stretch of scheduling that has him in prime position to end his drought.
penalty that knocked him out of the lead. He never recovered and finished fifth in the standings that season.
It was also the last time Earnhardt was a legitimate player at Talladega. He's had just one top-10 finish in the six races since, and that includes a pair of 40th-place finishes.
"There are so many people telling you all weekend good things to help you be pumped up."
is Talladega Superspeedway, the place he dominated from 2001 through 2004. Earnhardt didn't finish lower than second in a span of seven consecutive races there, and that included five victories — four straight.
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.
NASCAR driver
First up
But he's not won there since October 2004, the same day he vaulted to the top of the point standings only to lose his traction in the race for his first Cup title when, in his excitement following the victory, he uttered a profanity on live TV. It led to a 25-point
So as he heads back to Talladega this weekend, where he'll make his 300th career start on Sunday. Earnhardt could use his past mastery of the track to make a long-
"It's a fitting race track to have a 300th start," he said. "I love going to Talladega strictly because of my fan base there — there are so many people telling you all weekend good things to help you be pumped up. We try to run up front as much as possible at that track because the fans just go wild when I take the lead. It's amazing to see as a driver.
"So I find myself being a little more pesky at that track as far as give-and-take because I want to
awaited return to Victory Lane.
lead as much as possible and get up there for my fans to get them on their feet."
Earnhardt crowd, he'll head back to the drawing board on May 3 at Richmond International Raceway. It's not lost on anyone, especially Earnhardt, that Richmond is the site of his last victory —
And should his win not come Sunday in front of that pro-
It didn't much matter to Earnhardt how he got to Victory Lane. What was important was that he was there, and finally had something tangible that could
who didn't exactly run away with the race. In fact, he almost inherited the win when leader Kevin Harvick madealate-race tactical error in pit strategy that allowed Earnhardt to
"We try to run up front as much as possible at that track because fans just go wild when I take the lead."
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.
NASCAR driver
way back on May 6, 2006. The win that evening snapped a 27-race winless streak for
silence the critics who had begun openly questioning his talent level. A mortifying 2005 season that saw him shut out of the championship race had led many to wonder if Earnhardt wasn't just a
pass him with 45 laps to go and pull away for the win.
wee bit overrated.
Problem is, he hasn't made it back since — and the criticism only
Dale Earnhardt Jr., stands next to his car prior to his qualifying laps for the NASCAR Subway Fresh Fit 500 auto race at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Ariz. It's been 70 races, almost two full years, since Dale Earnhardt Jr. won a race that mattered.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
"I want to lead as much as possible and get up there for my fans to get them on their feet."
DALE EARNHARDT, JR.
NASCAR driver
grew when he decided last May to leave his late father's race team. It sparked the most frenzied free agency in NASCAR history, with every top team jockeying to sign Earnhardt.
Earnhardt
has only a pair of wins that didn't count from two exhibition races at
Daytona.
He's acknowledged being a bit lackadaisical in years past, cruising through the early part of the season confident he and his old Dale
Earnhardt Inc. team would turn it up with enough time to make the Chase field.
J
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