6B THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2006
SPORTS
MLB
Team holds 'Giants Idol'
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Scottsdale, Ariz. — Barry Bonds wore a strapless dress and a blonde wig, trying to look like Paula Abdul in front of a small gathering of fans and teammates, as the San Francisco Giants staged their version of "American Idol."
Bonds entertained and delighted everyone watching the mock contest at Giants camp in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Tuesday as young players had to sing in front of the judges.
"I'll never tell my wife to hurry up any more," Bonds said. "Because it took me forever to get ready. I'll never do that again. I couldn't get my hair right. There were a lot things I went through during the 30 minutes I was getting ready."
Giants Idol was the brainchild of Mark Sweeney, who signed with the team as a free agent in the offseason. He decided the "Idol" competition would raise some money and help spark unity after last year's disappointing season when the Giants finished under .500 for the first time since 1996.
"It was up in the air whether Barry would do this." Sweeney said. "We asked him this morning. It was almost embarrassing to have him do it."
The event raised $337 from fans that will be matched by the Giants organization and donated to the Giants Community Fund.
"It was pretty cool," said Omar Vizquel, who acted as host Ryan Seacrest. "I just thought he was going to be a judge. As long as you have fun you connect with each other."
At Vero Beach, Fla., Jeff Kent took formal batting practice for the first time this spring after having surgery on his right wrist Jan. 10 to remove scar tissue and repair a ligament. Before Tuesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers' second baseman had been hitting off a tee or with the ball being tossed from a short distance.
"We've played together for a long time," McFarland said. "I was just referring to her on that one."
Prove
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It's certainly not unreasonable for Wildcat fans to make the claim: Kansas State has won nine in a row against Kansas, and as recently as two years ago, Allen Fieldhouse became engulfed in a sea of purple when the two teams met. In 2002, a crowd of 12,000 consisted almost entirely of Wildcat fans.
Times have changed, though, and the Jayhawk seniors would like nothing more than for their final home game to be the one when they finally beat Kansas State.
"Senior day is motivation in
The players are trying to get the Jayhawk students to come support them during the game. During the week, filers were posted in Allen Fieldhouse with McFarland's quote and a plea for student support.
itself," senior guard Erica Hallman said. "But that's motivation as well because it's kind of disrespectful."
During the Manhattan game, Wildcat students were out in full force, filling up the section behind the Jayhawk bench and yelling every time coach Bonnie Henrickson tried to talk to the players.
The Jayhawks will need all the help they can get, as the Wildcats will have plenty to play for. Sitting on a 7-8 conference
record, the team has to win this game to preserve its chances of making the NCAA tournament.
"We definitely need to win for that," McFarland said. "Especially since it's the last one, you want to take a win into the conference tournament."
After the game Kansas will bid farewell to senior guards Erica Hallman and Kaylee Brown and senior forward Crystal Kemp.
The three seniors have been responsible for 72 percent of Kansas's scoring during conference play, and have formed the emotional core of the team. They have speculated during the past few weeks which player will be the first to cry during the festivities.
"I think Erica will probably
be the first one to shed a few tears," Kemp said. "But we'll probably join her after we see the first person break."
Tonight's game will be played with passion on both sides, and while Kansas also has a rivalry with Missouri, Kansas State has only one target each year.
"Everybody at K-State, some of them may not know a lot about women's basketball, but they are always asking, 'Did you beat KU?'" McFarland said. "It's always good to say yes."
That's what she's been able to say during her entire college career. Tonight the Jayhawk seniors have one last chance to answer back.
Edited by Meghan Miller
Wacker
There is no denying that Duke and UNC have an awesome rivalry. Two national basketball powers — both of whom have won more than one national title since Kansas last won one — located within eight miles of each other, trumps any other regional rivalry in America. Both coaches are shoe-in, first ballot Hall-of-
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Famers. And with apologies to the Dean Dome, every second game they play against each other is in the only venue in the nation that can hold a candle to Allen Fieldhouse in terms of the fans.
But at what point is it too much? According to the ESPN.com, ESPN360 is planning on running "a dedicated North Carolina-Duke channel featuring condensed versions of the top five games between the two
teams, a music video retrospective on the two teams, the full-length version of SportsCenter's Sunday Conversation with Coach K, plus a condensed version of the March 4 game."
How can this game — a regular season game at that — possibly live up to all of that? J.J. Redick could give birth during this game and I'd still be disappointed.
Look, the best things about college basketball are the moments it gives us. Bryce Drew
tyus Edney, Christian Laettner. All are players synonymous, not with their publicity and box scores, but with the great moments they gave us. It's the unpredictable, the unscriptable that makes college basketball so great.
What ESPN is serving up on Saturday is anything but.
Wacker is a Chesterfield, Mo., senior in journalism. He is kansan.com editor.
Bagels and Basketball 2006
Saturday, March 4th, 2006 Abe and Jake's (6th & New Hampshire) Doors: 2:00pm GAME TIME: 3:00pm
FREE LUNCH Contests, prizes, giveaways, and more!
Come watch the Jayhawks beat K-State in the last game of the Big 12 season!
Spirit Week
The Student Alumni Association is proud to announce
Stop by our table at Wescoe or the Kansas Union this week to celebrate
march madness!
Each day there will be different contests and prizes to win!
Monday, Feb. 27
Cocoa on Wescoe with Big Jay: 9-10:30 a.m. Free hot chocolate while it lasts! Change for Champions kick-off: Donate your change to the Special Olympics all week.
Tuesday, Feb. 28
Breakfast with Baby Jay: 9-10:30 a.m., Kansas Union. Free donuts while they last! SAA meeting: 7 p.m., Adams Alumni Center. "Beat the Buffs" - free buffalo wings!
Wednesday, March 1
Tradition Keeper Appreciation Day: Get spotted in your TK T-shirt, and you might win! KU Senior Night: 7 p.m., Allen Fieldhouse. KU beats CU! Go Hawks!
Thursday, March 2
Sign the Good Luck Card for the Basketball Team: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Wescoe Beach. Score some giveaways Free Cosmic Bowling:7-9 p.m., Jaybowl. Donations go to Special Olympics. Jaybowl
Friday, March 3
Friday, March 3
Crimson and Blue Day-wear KU colors!
Sign the Good Luck Card for the Basketball Team: 11 a.m.-1 p.m.,
Kansas Union. Score some giveaways.
Saturday, March 4 KU beats KSU!
Pe
Kyl recruit off.
The street Triniti and I They' One other Pane
For Bobby the fa car.
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