SPORTS
MONDAY. APRIL 3. 2006
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 3B
NCAA TOURNAMENT
Fans watch despite loss
BY ERIC JORGENSEN
ejorgensen@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Chad Landis, a bartender at Astro's, 601 S. Kasold Dr., will be bartending during tonight's championship game. He said fans have been scarce in the bar on game nights. Usually an NCAA tournament game would draw a large crowd, but with Kansas not playing, business has been slower.
"Nobody cares," Landis said.
He expects tonight to be the same.
"There have been some people out watching the games, but not very many," Landis said.
In the second year after a first-round NCAA tournament loss, Kansas basketball fans found themselves again questioning whether to keep watching tournament games. After the loss to Bradley this season, some fans boycotted the following games out of frustration. However, those who regained interest witnessed a tournament that provided new thrills, from several close games to George Mason's historic Final Four run. Still, not many went out and watched games. That trend is expected to continue tonight, as local bar owners expect few to go out and watch the NCAA championship game between Florida and UCLA on CBS.
Cara Montgomery, North Liberty, Iowa junior said she would watch the game tonight, but had no desire to go out and watch it. She said she didn't care enough to watch it anywhere but home.
One thing KU fans had in common fans across the nation were bracket disasters. On ESPN.com, only four people picked the Final Four correctly.
"I started cheering for teams
"A part of me did lose interest. It was OK watching and not having to worry about KU," Montgomery said.
"I watched up until my bracket was completely screwed," Graham said. "I didn't like the teams that made it to the Final Four."
Mike Graham, St. Louis sophomore, said he lost some interest after Kansas lost, but rooted for his bracket to do well.
I usually wouldn't," Montgomery said. "I would have never paid attention to Wichita State's games or the lower-seeded games had KU won."
Some fans share Montgomery's views. Although bitterness was the first reaction, eventually they watched the tournament with interest and without a KU bias.
"The day after the loss I couldn't watch basketball," Iowa City junior Philip George said. He was able to watch the championship the next weekend, though. "I thought it was really exciting. The whole George Mason thing was awesome."
Graham said that he didn't plan to go out to watch the championship game.
George said that while he was watching the rest the championships, he started rooting for the teams in his bracket.
George said he planned on staying home for the game, rather than go to a bar.
Edited by Hayley Travis
Season opens to different faces
MLB
BY DOUG TUCKER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals, who've combined to lose 58/1 games the past three years, will launch a new season Monday with the hope that always accompanies new managers and different opening day starters.
Jim Leyland, longtime manager at Pittsburgh who spent the last six seasons as a major league scout for St. Louis, has replaced Alan Trammell for the Tigers. Pitching for the Tigers in their 3 p.m. opener with Kansas City will be Kenny Rogers, 41, one of two key offseason acquisitions designed to bolster the pitching.
In the dugout for Kansas City
will be Buddy Bell. The former All-Star third baseman replaced Tony Pena last June. He conducted a rugged, no-nonsense spring training that was meant to instill focus and discipline on a team that committed a major league-high 125 errors in 2005 while losing a major league-high 106 games.
Right-hander Scott Elarton, a member of the Cleveland staff last year, will start for the Royals.
"I think we're all very optimistic," Bell said Sunday. "Because of the changes we made over the winter, because of the chemistry we developed through the course of spring training. I think we all feel pretty good about where we're at right now."
The season took a quick downtown for the Tigers just
days before the season opener when 38-year-old reliever Todd Jones, signed to an $11 million, two-year contract during the offseason, aggravated a left hamstring injury.
He was placed on the 15-day disabled list.
Fernando Rodney, who was 2-3 with a 2.86 ERA and nine saves in 59 games last year, figures to take over for Jones.
Nevertheless, veteran outfielder Dmitri Young says the Tigers have already taken something from Leyland.
"We've adopted his attitude," Young said. "We have an idea of what he's about and that rubs off on us. His attitude — you play hard and you play it right. Yet, he's a man of few rules but he demands respect."
Tension among Kansas City fans, executives and city officials will be much greater than most opening days because of an election on Tuesday that could decide the fate of major league sports in the region.
Voters in Jackson County will decide on one sales tax measure that would raise more than $400 million for renovations to Kauffman and Arrowhead stadiums, and another business tax that would bring about $200 million for a rolling roof over both structures.
Most polls are predicting a razor-thin margin either way, and some have suggested that an exciting opening day victory by the Royals might gain the few extra votes to push the measures over the top.
Swiss victory on ice
Lisa Poole/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Norway skip Thomas Ulsrud, right, watches as Torger Nergard, left, and Jan Thoresen, second from left, sweep against Switzerland during world men's curling championships at the Tsongas Arena on Sunday in Lowell, Mass. Switzerland won 7-6.
ALUMNISPOTLIGHT
Walt Riker College 1970, School of Journalism 1978
Vice President of Media Relations for McDonald's
5:30-7 p.m.
Tuesday, April 4
Adams Alumni Center
As the spokesman for McDonald's, the press secretary for Senator Bob Dole and a television reporter for a CBS News affiliate. Walt Riker has built a career that has taken him across the country and across industry lines. Join us to hear about his days at KU, his experience in the real world and his tips on how to be a successful KU grad.
Door prizes and free food provided by the Student Alumni Association!
5:30 - 6 p.m. Refreshments and meet the speaker
6-7 p.m. Walt Riker speech and Q & A
www.kualumni.org
CHUCK NORRIS' LEGACY IS SECURED.
HOW WILL PEOPLE KNOW YOU WERE AT KU?
YOU'RE NOT CHUCK NORRIS.
You can't stay, but you can leave your mark!
We'll be calling you soon.
www.kuendowment.org
KU ENDOWMENT
The University of Kansas
---