THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2008
SPORTS
7B
CAMPUS
Campers show despite snow
BY LUKE MORRIS
Imorris@kansan.com
Inclement weather and bad road conditions couldn't stop zealous jayhawk men's basketball fans from attending lottery Sunday morning to get prime seats for the March 1 game against Kansas State.
The lottery is a process for choosing the first groups in the door at men's basketball games. Groups at the lottery get to pick a poker chip with a number on it for every five members, with a maximum of six picks per group. The group with the lowest number on a chip gets to be the first group in the fieldhouse for the next game.
More than 40 camping groups made their way to Allen Fieldhouse for the 8 a.m. lottery. Some students walked there from their residence halls, while others drove their vehicles on city roads that had yet to be
cleared of snow.
On the way back from the lottery, one car spun around 180 degrees on the slippery road near the intersection of 15th and Iowa Streets.
Associate Athletics Director Jim Marchiony said he wasn't surprised that campers toughed out the conditions to make it to the lottery.
"It's a big game, and they're pumped for it," Marchiony said. "Not only is it against Kansas State, but College Gameday's going to be in town too, so we expected high student attendance."
Campers who showed up early had trouble getting into the fieldhouse, leaving some thinking students would have to conduct the lottery in the parking garage next to the fieldhouse, which they had to do for the Missouri game. Eventually, an employee let students come inside. Campers had to conduct the lottery in the hallway because the women's team was practicing for its game
that day.
"A lot of smaller colleges are lucky to get as many people for a game that we had for a lottery in the snow two weeks before the game," said Jeff Peckover, Winona, Minn., sophomore.
"There were some cars on the side of the road that didn't make it down the hill," Samson said.
Omaha. Neb., sophomore Adam Samson said that even more students would have been at the lottery, but their cars got stuck on the way.
Campers will not have to trudge through the snow to get to the fieldhouse for camping. They voted to suspend camping until Wednesday.
Sanson said that the trek through the snow was worth it because his group will be the ninth in the door for the Kansas State game.
Edited by Katherine Loeck
NASCAR driver Ryan Newman smokes his tires after winning the 50th run of the Daytona
600 auto race Sunday at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla.
Newman wins first race in years
DAYTONA 500
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BY JENNA FRYER ASSOCIATED PRESS
DAYTONA, Fla. — Another thriller, another heartbreak at the Davtona 500.
For the second straight year, The Great American Race came down to the last lap. This time the drama rewarded Ryan Newman, who didn't won in 81 races over more than two years, and team owner Roger Penske, long the king at Indianapolis but never a winner at Daytona.
Newman waited while the big stars fell back one by one. Then, with only Tony Stewart ahead of him, Newman got a "push from heaven" from teammate Kurt Busch to take the lead on the final lap.
"Kurt was the push from heaven that made it all happen," Newman said. "Without a doubt, he could have easily gone three-wide and split us through the center and made one heck of a mess there. But he chose to be a teammate, and that was the most honorable thing that he could do."
It only took him 24 years to get it.
Penske, the most successful owner in open-wheel history with 14 wins in the prestigious Indianapolis 500, now has a victory in NASCAR's showcase event.
And it came in the 50th running of the Daytona 500, in thrilling fashion, with a last-lap pass for the second consecutive year.
When the car owner finally made it to storied Victory Lane, he was met by Rick Hendrick, NASCAR's most powerful owner.
"I talked to Rick earlier today, and I said, 'You've been in the winner's circle so many times, if we win will you give me your hat?' He was the first one down here. So I thank him," Penske said while wearing that very cap.
"We've been working here for many years. Certainly Kurt and the teamwork was just unbelievable. It's a big day in our life and for our whole team."
The Penske cars were quiet for
199 of the 200 laps, letting Joe Gibbs Racing stars Stewart and Kyle Busch race each other in a battle of Toyotas. With one lap to go, it appeared Stewart finally would get his first Daytona 500 win in his 10th try.
Running out front in the high line, he held off the two Penske cars as they circled the famed speedway. But as the Penske teammates closed on in him, Stewart didn't feel safe running alone without any allies.
At the last second, he dropped low on the track to line up in front of Kyle Busch. The JGR teams had talked all week about the importance of teamwork, and Stewart thought he'd need Busch to make it to the checkered flag.
But the decision backfired in the blink of an eye.
Stewart couldn't hook up with Kyle Busch fast enough, and the two Penske cars steamrolled past him on the top.
"I don't think there's too many people that would take the white flag and like finishing third," a dejected Stewart sighed. "We tried to win the Daytona 500. That's all I can say. I just made the wrong decision on the backstretch.
Newman pulled away for his first win since New Hampshire in September 2005, while Stewart had to settle for third.
It's hard to explain. It's probably one of the most disappointing moments in my racing career."
The disappointment was also evident on Greg Zipadelli, who starts his 10th season with Stewart in NASCAR's longest active driver-crew chief pairing.
"My intention was to get in front of Kyle and pull Kyle along with us.
"We've worked all winter, we've worked the last 10 years, I've worked my whole life," Zipadelli said. "It's just the way that it is. There's a lot of good people that haven't won this race. I'm not going to get hung up on it. I'm going to work as hard as I can, and when it's done, if we have our turn, we will.
"It won't be because we didn't work at it."
The failure was a setback for Toyota, which seemed destined to win its first points race in NASCAR's top series behind the strength of JGR.
The Gibbs organization joined Toyota this season, giving the manufacturer instant credibility after an embarrassing 2007 debut. Based on a strong month of testing and Denny Hamlin's win in one of Thursday's qualifying races, the JGR cars set the stage for an intense battle with powerful Hendrick Motorsports for the biggest prize in NASCAR.
"There's no doubt the Gibbs guys feel dejected tonight," Kurt Busch said.
》 MLB
Kansas City Royals pitcher John Bale catches the ball as he takes part in a fielding drill during baseball spring training in Surprise, Artz., Sunday.
Pitcher in run for Royals rotation
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SURPRISE, Ariz. — After appearing in 26 games for Kansas City last season as a relever, John Bale has lost 20 pounds and is contending for a slot in the Royals rotation.
Bale, a 33-year-old left-hander, started nine games in 2003 with the Cincinnati Reds, 82 games in the minors and 30 games, including 25 in 2004, in three seasons with Hiroshima in the Japan League.
"I'm definitely happy about being given an opportunity to start," Bale said Sunday. "I know they'll make the best decision at the end of spring, whether they think I'll be best for the pen or in the rotation."
Bale was 1-1 with a 4.05 ERA in 40 innings last season, striking out 42 and walking 17. He struck out seven New York Yankees, a season high for a Royal reliever, in 3 2-3 innings on Sept. 9.
"It all comes down to where I can help the ball club the best in
their eyes," Bale said. "The bottom line is that it comes down that I just want the ball. I want to contribute any way I can. I'm going to do my best to take this opportunity and run with it."
Bale began last season on the disabled list with a strained ligament in his left shoulder, and while rehabbing in the minors he hurt himself again. He did not make his Kansas City debut until July 6.
New Royals manager Trey Hillman, who managed the past five seasons in Japan, became acquainted with Bale when he pitched for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.
"He certainly looks a lot better and in better shape," Hillman said. "I didn't see him last year, but was comparing to what I saw of him in Japan two years ago. He's got the mind-set about the potential of being in the starting rotation. He's conditioned his mind and his body with that in mind for the season."
As a reliever, Bale mainly threw fastballs.
"You're going to mix in a lot more off-speed pitches as a starter," Bale said. "All my pitches feel good right now. I'm even going to keep sidearm on occasion to give a different look. The more angles you have, the better it is, make the hitter think he's facing two pitchers instead of one."
Notes: RHP Brian Bannister returned to camp after missing the previous three days with the flu. "The stomach cramps were killing me," Bannister said. "That's as sick as I ever felt." Bannister was restricted to throwing off a flat surface on his first day back. While the first official full-squad workout is not until Tuesday, all but seven of the 63 players already have reported to camp. Those not yet in camp are OF Jose Guillen, 2B Mark Grudzielanek, ST Tony Pena Jr., 1B Mike Stodolka and IFs Albert Callaspo, Jason Smith and Mario Lisson.
MLB
BY ARNIE STAPLETON ASSOCIATED PRESS
Fuentes serves as setup man
He's not going to gripe about not getting his wishes, though.
TUCSON, Ariz. — Brian Fuentes would rather be a $6.5 million closer than a $5 million setup man.
"I'm happy to have a job. There's a lot of guys right now that don't have jobs," said the three-time All-Star, who lost his role as Colorado's closer last summer but rebounded as an eighth-inning specialist to help lead the Rockies to their first NL pennant.
The left-hander, who made $3,535,000 last season, lost his arbitration case on Friday. He said it was difficult sitting in on the hearing but that he wasn't going to let that affect him on the mound.
"I'm not worried about what was said. It's time to move on. I'm looking forward to getting a ball
Fuentes arrived at camp a day late because of the hearing in Florida.
in my hand," Fuentes said Sunday. "I'm not a businessman, I'm not a lawyer. I'm a ballplayer."
"I think the situation he's in is probably not the ideal situation for him. But he knows how he fits in on the team right now," manager Clint Hurdle said. "And I told him we're going to go in the season as we finished up last season."
That means serving as Manny Corpas' setup man.
Fuentes said he'll approach things the same way no matter which inning is his.
"My job is to come in and get guys out," he said. "So, whatever role they plan on using me in is totally up to them. I'm their pawn, so let me know what you want me to do and I'll do it."
The Rockies remain high on Fuentes; it's just that Corpas saved
19 of 20 games and posted the lowest relief ERA (2.08) in club history after taking over as closer in July. Then, he saved five of six games in the postseason with a 0.87 ERA.
Fuentes, who posted a 3.08 ERA and saved 20 games himself, was lights-out in August and September.
"We wouldn't have had the success we had down the stretch if he wasn't able to do the job he was able to do in setting up Manny" Hurdle said. "And you never know what the future holds and he's going to prepare himself to win ballgames. He's in a good place."
But for how long? Fuentes wants to close again and he's eligible for free agency after this season.
"Every year the (trade) deadline comes up, my name's mentioned, so I think my resume I'm going out for a while," said Fuentes, owner of the second-longest tenure with the Rockies.
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