14 THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
WEDNESDAY,JULY12,2006
THE TRUTH
Five ways to promote All-Star game
Summers are notoriously slow for sports, and until August the only sport that fans are able to watch is baseball. If you're a casual baseball fan at best, similar to yours truly, then you're in the middle of a long, tedious, Yankees, Red Sox, blah, blah, blah sports-filled summer. As an attempt to reconcile with a game I used to love, I thought I would give the Major League Baseball All-Star game a chance.
After falling asleep somewhere during the middle of the third inning I had come to the realization that there was no amount of beer in the world that could make me watch an entire nine-inning baseball game. So I've decided to offer a list of suggestions that could possibly help promote the midsummer classic to attract the casual fan.
BY DEJUAN ATWAY
datway@kansan.com
There are bad teams in baseball for a reason because their rosters are usually littered with bad players. Perfect example of this rule: Kansas City Royal Mark Redman was chosen by American league manager Ozzie Guillen to be a pitcher on the American League team. Redman
1. Eliminate the "every team must have a representative in the game" rule.
and his 5.27 era will have National league batters in lock and load mode. They will be ready to tee off on Redman like he is the Pebble Beach golf course. More than likely Redman won't even get close enough to touch the mound. So who gets penalized for playing on a good team? Minnesota Twins sensational rookie Francisco Liriano who only boasts a 10-1 record and a 1.83 era will be sitting at home. Casual baseball fans do not want see mediocre, bad or Mark Redman baseball.
2. The NL and AL managers should be the managers of teams with the best record and they should not be allowed to pick any of their own players.
Why are the previous years' World Series managers allowed to coach the
All-Star game? The teams with the best record during the first half of the year should be allowed to manage the game. The Detroit Tigers are the best story in baseball and they have MLB's best record. It would be nice to see Tigers manager Jim Leyland lead the all-star team after working a miracle in Detroit, just two years after the team lost an incredible 119 games in 2004. Detroit's reward for a stellar first half; three all-star selections. While the Chicago White Sox, defending world champions, boast seven All-Stars.
Unfortunately, sometimes the All-Star game rewards players for their previous year's accomplishments.
3. There should be a veto rule against ridiculous fan choices on AllStar game starters.
Die-hard baseball fans are truly one of
a kind. They know every miniscule, completely useless statistic and are confident they always know who should start in the All-Star game. Unfortunately, they usually pick the same 10 to 12 guys for 10 to 12 years whether they are having a great first half of the year or not. For instance, Ivan Rodriguez was chosen by the fans to start at catcher. He gets the nod despite the fact that Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer has the same number of home runs, six more RBIs and, oh yeah, he's batting 70 points higher than Rodriguez. Fans are the lifeblood of every sport, they are passionate and energetic, but they are also known to be a little overzealous about a name they recognize.
SEE BASEBALL ON PAGE 15
SERENITY NOW
A look into the 2006 season
I was driving south through Oklahoma during the weekend and checked out the different radio stations that the Sooner State offered to pass the time.
Roughly an hour from the Oklahoma-Texas border, the radio 'seek' stopped on a rock station, and the beginning of Metallica's "Enter Sandman" was playing.
Immediately, Kansas football sprang into my mind because of its connection to the teams' run onto the field.
BY FRED A. DAVIS III
fdavis@kansan.com
40,000 plus people standing and clapping, drunken students screaming, and best of all, the nice little video montage of the jayhawk-shaped jet flying through Kansas before blowing up the opponents helmet at midfield. road rage here I come.
So, needing a jolt from what had been an otherwise dull journey, I cranked the volume, raised my fist – pounding it in the air and stared menacingly at people as I passed by them – pointing at some - letting them know that I, along with the KU football team, mean business this year.
After the song finished and Iled Olda-
homa state troopers on a high-speed chase through the Texas panhandle, (if heavy metal does that to me, imagine the effect on the football players), I thought of a possible soundtrack that might help determine how our schedule this season should play out.
In the spirit of the "EIP" yours truly has selected six songs sure to prepare and get you pumped up for the 2006 season.
1. Devo, "Whip It"
Three of KU's first four games are in Lawrence against the likes of South Florida, Louisiana Monroe and Northwestern State. Northwestern State? So what if we open the season against a Division I-AA opponent. Remember people - the Bill Snyder formula for success specifically mentions, "destroy small schools." Despite a tough nationally televised roadie in Toledo, KU should definitely "Whip It," and the season starts 3-1.
2. Ice Cube, "Check Yo Self"
Once the preseason, err, non-conference is done, then things get exciting. Opening conference play at Nebraska will be demanding because the Huskers are still fuming about that as whooping from last season. Besides the Big Red, you have Texas A&M and Oklahoma State to worry about to open Big 12 play. The latter two are at Memorial Stadium, though, and that's never a real thing. 2-1 to start the conference is a real possibility, but the 'Hawks have to check themselves before they potentially wreck their season. (5-2, 2-1)
3. Talking Heads, "Burning Down the House"
Waco. Branch Davidians. Janet Reno.
Just a few things that come to mind. Oh yeah, we play Baylor too. KU - 31 Waco FD - 3. (6-2, 3-1)
SEE SOUNDTRACK ON PAGE 15
The need for speed
Peter Deione/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Oscar Freire of Spain, left, battles with Robbie McEwen of Australia to win the ninth stage of the 93rd tour de France cycling race between Bordeaux and Dax, southwestern France, Tuesday. Sybil Honchar retains the overall lead of the race.