SPORTS TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2006 2B THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN ATHLETICS CALENDAR **TOUR** Baseball vs. Missouri State, 6 p.m. Honlund Ballpark Player to watch: Jared Schweitzer infielder returned to the field last weekend against Oklahoma State and contributed immediately, going 8-for-12 on the weekend. Schweitzer WEDNESDAY Softball vs. Missouri, 5 p.m., Arrocha Ballpark Soccer vs. KCFC U15 Boys, 5:30 Ivashuk Soccer Complex dound Ballpark Baseball vs. Tabor, 6 p.m., Hoplund Ballpark Women's golf at Big 12 Championship, all day, Lincoln, Neb. THURSDAY **Softball vs. Creighton, 2 p.m., Arrocha Ballpark** Softball with. Creighton, 4 p.m., Arrocha Ballpark track, Kansas relays, all day Memorial Stadium FRIDAY *Baseball vs. Kansas State, 7 p.m. Hogland Ballpark *Track, Kansas relays, all day, Memorial Stadium SATURDAY Softball vs. Texas, 12:30 p.m., Ar- menia v.Baltic ark. Tennis at Texas A&M, 1:30 p.m. College Station, Texas Baseball at Kansas State, 2 Baseball at Kansas State, 2 p.m., Manhattan Track, Kansas relays, all day, Memorial Stadium Rowing at Minnesota, time TBA, Minneapolis SUNDAY Softball vs. Texas, noon, Arrocha Ballpark tennis at Texas, noon, Austin, Texas Baseball at Kansas State, 1 p.m. Manhattan TALK TO US Tell us your news. Contact Eric Sorrentino or Erick Schmidt at 864-4858 or sports@kansan.com 842-8665 2858 Four WheelDr. LAWRENCE AUTOMotive DIAGNOSTICS INC Crowded playoffs hurting NBA ▼ 'HORN BORN; 'HAWK BRED The NBA playoffs, lasting from late April to the middle of June, are only days away. Some basketball fans revel in the glory of the best teams and players in the world finally giving their all to win, a trait not consistently seen during the regular season. Others, however, aren't excited at all. Typical NBA haters, and there are many out there, say the regular season is meaningless and filled with lackluster play because too many teams make the playoffs. For most, not every game matters. Red Lyon Tavern A touch of Irish Good point. Sixteen of the 30 teams in the NBA qualify for postseason play. Should more than half the teams make the playoffs? No way. The NBA should cut the field in half by only allowing four teams from each conference to make the The NBAs Eastern Conference makes a convincing argument for this playoffs. move. Depending on the last two games of the regular season, the conference's five, six, seven and eight seeds could finish the 82-game regular season with a losing record. That's not fair. Losers shouldn't get a chance to play for a championship. If the NBA were to make this move, the grueling amount of time the playoffs take would be reduced, the postseason matchups would be much more competitive and interesting from the start and the regular season games would mean twice as much as they do now. Every team would fight as hard as it could from the beginning of the season to the end, trying to earn one of the four A move this drastic should also come with a realignment of the divisions. As of now, each conference has three divisions. The winners of each earn one of the top three playoff seeds, recordless of their records coveted playoff spots in its conference. finishing first in the conference's weakest division. In an NBA playoff with only four spots per conference, a team like Denver does not deserve to be included. For example, this year the three seed in the Western Conference is the Denver Nuggets, a team that could finish with a worse record than the seven seed, again depending on what happens in the last two games of the regular season. The Nuggets only earned that spot by To solve this problem, each conference should only have two divisions, with two playoff wildcards. This would allow for the absolute best competition and the most exciting way for the NBA championship to be decided. So are you listening, NBA? Do you want your regular season and playoffs to be more exciting? Do you want to generate more fan interest? Then do yourself a favor and take my advice. - Robinett is an Austin, Texas, junior in journalism. He is Kansan correspondent editor. 944 Massachusetts 832-8228 Smiles and giggles Louisiana State basketball coach John Brady, center, laughs with players Tyrus Thomas, left, and Glen "Big Baby" Davis, right, before a news conference Monday in Baton Rouge, La. Thomas announced at the conference that he would declare eligibility for the NBA draft. Davis announced that he would return for another season at LSU. Patrick Dennis/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WOMEN'S GOLE Four golfers named to Academic All-Big 12 Four members of the Kansas women's golf team were named to the 2006 Academic All-Big 12 team Monday. Included on the first team were senior Chelsey Pryor, senior Meredith Winkelmann, junior Amanda Costner, and sophomore Annie Glangrosso. The Big 12 league office announced all 41 members of the Academic All-Big 12 team in a statement Monday. Costner and Pryor made the team for the second and third times respectively, while Winkelmann and Giangrosso made their first appearances on the team. To make the first team, athletes must have a 3.2 GPA or better.Those with GPAs between 3.19 and 3.00 are named to the second team. Kansas began the Big 12 Championship Monday in Lincoln, Neb., and will continue competing through Wednesday. Kansan staff reports DENVER — Julius Hodge sat at a table by midcourt, his left leg in a walking boot, his flesh and bones still mending from the four bullets that pierced his body in a drive-by shooting. The 22-year-old Denver Nuggets rookie returned to the Pepsi Center on Monday for the first time since the shooting nine days earlier. NBA BASKETBALL Shooting victim shows no bitterness, no anger He'll want to take this opportunity to let everyone know that I'm feeling good and on the road to recovery," Hodge said at the team's shoot-around, his first public comments since the shooting. The Associated Press Post Comments Join Discussions News Updates SUNFLOWER OUTDOOR & BIKE 1043 MARBACOUNTY 867-6000 AMNESTY RANKS Kayak Demo! test the very latest in recreational, touring, and sit-on-top boats... for free! Saturday April 22 10AM-4PM Lone Star Lake Massachusetts S Kentown Lawrence (785) 843-5000 804 Maasachusetts St. Downtown Lawrence (785) 843-9000 www.masachusettsdollah.com NewsNewsNewsNews ESTABLISHED IN CHARLESTON, IL IN 1983 TO ADD TO STUDENTS GPA AND GENERAL DATING ABILITY. 1 PEPE® $3.99 8" SUB SANDWICHES All of my tasty sub sandwiches are a full 8 inches of homemade French bread, fresh veggies and the finest meats & cheese I can buy. And it matters to you, we slice everything fresh everyday in this store, right here where you can see it. (No mystery meat!) 1 PEPE Real apple smoked ham and provolone cheese garnished with lettuce, tomato, and mayo. (Awesome!) 2 BIG JOHN® Medium rare shaved roast beef, topped with yummy mays, lettuce, and tomato. (Can't beat this one!) JIMMY JOHN'S 4 TURKEY TOM® Fresh sliced turkey breast, tapped with lettuce, tamale, alfalfa sprouts, and maya. (The original) 3 SORRY CHARLIE California baby tuna, mixed with cibery, onions, and our taste爽甜, then topped with affair sprouts, cucumber, lettuce, and tomato (My tuna rock!)? com 5 VITO " The original Italian sub with genoa salami, provolone, capicola, onion, lettuce, tomatos and a real tasty italian vinagragette. (Order it with hot peppers, trust me!) 4. B.L.T. Bacon, lettuce, tomato, & mayo. (The only better BTL is mama's BLT, this one rules!) 6 VEGETARIAN Several layers of provolone cheese separated by real avocado spread, alfalfa sprouts, sliced cucumber, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. (Truffle a gourmet sub not for vegetarians only... peace dude!) 6 VEGETARIAN SIDE ITEMS - Soda Pop ... $1.29/$1.49 * Giant chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin cookie ... $1.50 * Real potato chips or jumbo kosher dill cake ... $0.90 * Extra load of meat ... $1.25 * Extra cheese or extra avocado spread ... $0.75 * Hot Peppers ... $0.25 JJBLT FREEBIES (LOBS 4. CLUBS ONLY) Onion, lettuce, almond sprouts, tomato, mayo, sliced cucumber, Dion mustard, oil & vinegar, and oregano. Since JJ 1983 WORLD'S GREATEST GOURMET MANDWICHES $2.99 PLAIN SLIMS™ Any Sub minus the veggies and sauce SLIM 1 Ham & cheese SLIM 2 Roast Beef SLIM 3 Tuna salad SLIM 4 Turkey breast SLIM 5 Salami, capicola, cheese SLIM 6 Double provolone Low Carb Lettuce Wrap JJ UNWICH™ Same ingredients and price of the sub or club without the bread. YOUR CATERING SOLUTION!!! BOX LUNCHES PLATTERS PARTIES! DELIVERY ORDERS will include a delivery charge of 45c per item (*i*=10 items) JIMMYJOHNS.COM $6.99 THE J.J. GARGANTUAN This sandwich was invented by Jimmy John's brother Huey. It's huge enough to feed the hungryest of all humans! fans of genna salami, sliced smoked ham, capicola, roast beef, turkey & provelone, jammed into one of our homemade French buns then smothered with onions, mayo, lettuce, tomato, & our homemade Italian dressing. Du dictal golf c a few of th Wi junio strug last legiat Dimmy John $4.99 M GIANT CLUB SANDWICHES My club sandwiches have twice the meat and cheese, try it on my fresh baked thick sliced 7 grain bread or my famous homemade French bread! 7 GOURMET SMOKED HAM CLUB A full 1/4 pound of real applewood-smoked ham, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato, and real mayonnail (a real stack) 8 BILLY CLUB® Roast beef, ham, provolone, Dijon mustard, lettuce, tomato, & mayo. (Here's to his old pal Billy who invented this great combo.) 9 ITALIAN NIGHT CLUB® Real genea salami, Italian cappicola, smoked ham, and provolone cheese all toped with lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, and our homemade pepper vinaigrette. (You have to order hot peppers, just ask!) 10 HUNTER'S CLUB(9) A full 1/4 pound of fresh sliced medium rare roast beef, provolone, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. (it rocks!!) 11 COUNTRY CLUB $^{®}$ fresh sliced turkey breast, apple-smoked ham, providence, and tons of lettuce, tomato, and maya! (a very traditional, yet always exceptional classic) 12 BEACH CLUB 12 BEACH CLUB™ fresh baked turkey breast, prevalon cheese, avocado spread, sliced cucumber, sprouts, lettuce, tomate, and maytag (1) the real deal finds, and i am it even California. P jols with com quis thre Car bury nigh 13 GOURMET VEGGIE CLUB Double provolone, real avocado spread, sliced cucumber, alliaresa sprouts, lettuce, & mayo. (Try it on my / grain whole wheat bread. This veggie sandwich is world class!) 14 BOOTLEGGER CLUB® Roast beef, turkey breast, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. An American classic, certainly not invented by J.J. but definitely tweaked and line-tuned to perfection! 15 CLUB TUNA® The same as our #4 Sorry Charlie except this one has a lot more. Homemade tuna salad, provolone, sprouts, cucumber, lettuce, & tomato. (I guarantee it's awesome!) 16 CLUB LULU™ Fresh sliced turkey breast, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. (JD's original turkey & bacon club) WE DELIVER! 7 DAYS A WEEK LAWRENCE 601 KASOLD 785.331.2222 1447 W. 23RD ST. 785.838.3737 jor has at- wit dic 922 MASSACHUSETTS ST 785.841.0011 "YOUR MOM WANTS YOU TO EAT AT JIMMY JOHN'S!"