/ NEWS / FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
FOOTBALL
Ben Pirotte/KANSAN
Turner Gill and the captains of the football team, running back Angus Quigley, defensive end Jake Laptad, cornerback Chris Harris, offensive lineman Sal Capra and linebacker Justin Springer, speak outside Buffalo Wild Wings. 1012 Massachusetts St., after Gill's guest appearance on this week's Hawk Talk radio show. Gill and the captains addressed fans that came for a pep rally on the 1000 block of Massachusetts St., but attendance was poor because of rainy weather.
Coach's block party kicks off season
Turner Gill is a guest on this week's Hawk Talk, which airs every Thursday from 6 to 7 p.m. This week's airing was at Buffalo Wild Wings, 1012 Massachusetts St., as a special event to prepare for this weekend's football game against North Dakota State.
BY NICOLAS ROESLER
nroesler@kansan.com
The rain pouring down on Kansas football fans at the downtown block party to kick off the 2010-2011 season yesterday didn't dampen their spirits at all. Instead the scene turned from a block party to a bar party.
The 1000 block of Massachusetts Street was closed off for the commencement of a new season of football and the new season of the Hawk Talk radio show at Buffalo Wild Wings, 1012 Mass. St.
The main ceremonies ended at 6 p.m. due to the rain, but inside Buffalo Wild Wings it was another story.
"It's great to see people excited for the season," Gill said after his radio show.
Gill said the enthusiasm he saw in the crowd made him more thrilled for tomorrow's season opener against North Dakota State. He said meeting the community that supported his football team meant a lot to him because Kansas football needed its passion.
Laura Porter, a University graduate, said she was pleased to
see the diehard fans come out despite the rain. She said she was looking forward to see a new season and new coach.
"I think he is a real positive coach and gets the best out of his players," Porter said.
Porter's son got to shake Gill's hand on his way out of the restaurant. She was impressed with Gill's desire to meet people and said that experience was worth braving the rain.
There were plenty of people there to meet. According to Jonathan Lee, a graduate student from San Francisco, there was no sitting room anywhere in Buffalo Wild Wings leading up to or during the radio show.
"Considering the weather, this place was surprisingly full." Lee said while wearing his Jayhawk attire.
Lee has seen Gill coach before, and he was interested in seeing him again at this time at KU. Lee saw Gill coach at the University of Buffalo two years ago and has liked him since then. Like Porter, Lee thought his positive persona was good for the team, and he was glad to see people come out and support the Jayhawks.
The rain clouds parted at around the same time Gill ended his first episode of Hawk Talk. Gill walked out of the restaurant and greeted a crowd of rain-resilient fans. The five captains for the 2010 season were also outside, and senior Angus Quigley commiserated with the fans.
"I know it wasn't easy to be out here, but we appreciate it." Quigley
said.
After a quick word of gratitude from the other captains, Gill took back the microphone and gave one final message through the speakers, projecting his voice down the block.
"We are going to show you some great things this year."
Edited by Abby Davenport
ODD NEWS
Man jumps from car and watches it crash
DARIEN, Conn. — Connecticut State Police say a man fell out of his car onto Interstate 95 and watched his vehicle drive on and crash into a pole.
State police said Craig wasn't struck by any vehicles. The accident remains under investigation.
Associated Press
"Expect that I am gonna kick your ass physically," Horning said. "A lot of guys can't make it through the first practice when they come."
Horning came to the University in 2008 from Manhattan, Kan. While in Manhattan, he practiced jiu-jitsu frequently and found that it had yet to be introduced to Lawrence. Horning and some friends decided they would be the ones to put together a club and two years later, Horning is the only founder remaining.
In 2008, the club had eight members during its first semester session. Now, Horning has at least 40 members attend each class. The first two classes are free. After that, it's $75 for a semester, or $100 for a year.
Byron Davis, a junior from Philadelphia, considers the money well spent.
"One practice is all it took for me and I was hooked." Davis said.
Horning does not consider his class to be a "typical martial arts class" with "going-through the motion drills." Horning's objective is to train people to defend
Bare feet, mouth guards and a fighter's mentality — all are necessary for jiu-jitsu preparation. A martial art that focuses on grappling and ground fighting, this Brazilian sport takes a lot of hard work.
The jiu-itsu class meets in the Ambler Student Recreation Fitness Center at 5 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Instructor Chris Horning said students who are thinking about coming to his classes should expect to be physically challenged.
Jiu-jitsu fighters take it to the mat
CAMPUS
BY CARLO RAMIREZ cramirez@kansan.com
Of the approximately 40 members in the class, three fight competitively in mixed martial arts. On Sept. 18 at the Ararat Shrine Temple in Kansas City, Mo., Nance, a junior from Trinity, N.C., will fight in the catchweight division of 160 pounds, Alex Grandsalt, a sophomore from Derby, will fight in the 205-pound division and Cale Peterson, a senior from Chanute, will fight in the 155-pound division. The three KU members will square off against MMA fighters from Missouri.
When one member of the class fights, the rest of the class usually roots for their teammate. After a couple of practices, the group members take on more of a family feel toward each other. As for those who are worried about going in and getting injured, the worst participants have left with are a couple of jammed fingers and toes.
"It's a sport anyone can do," said Petty, a junior from Wichita. "You get to let all your aggressions out and always leave in a good mood."
The platform produced mostly natural gas and a small amount of oil - 1,400 barrels a day, according to the rig's owner, Houston-based Mariner Energy. A mile-long ribbon of light sheen was seen near the rig about 100 miles south of Louisiana, but both the Coast Guard and Mariner said there was no indication of a continuing leak.
Coast Guard Cmdr. Cheri Benlesau said the blast, which forced 13 workers to leap into the water where they were rescued, wasn't comparable to the Deepwater Horizon accident, which exploded in April, killing 11 workers
themselves with jiu-jitsu, which he said was one of the most effective martial arts. Horning teaches techniques for knife disarming, gun disarming and numerous other submission and self-defense tactics.
The class has attracted students from all walks of life, from Jarde Nance, a mechanical engineering major and competitive mixed martial arts fighter, to Justin Petty, a former Marine. Petty, who is no stranger to tough training, said he would advise anyone who is interested to come.
Edited by Dana Meredith
MIAMI — Another offshore rig exploded Thursday in the Gulf of Mexico, an unsettling echo of BP's deep-sea blowout less than six months ago, but this time it appears there won't be another environmental catastrophe.
MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE
NAIIONAL
Offshore oil rig explodes in Gulf, no leaking indicated
A House energy committee led by Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., also sent Mariner Chief Executive Officer Scott Josey a letter asking for a briefing on the blast, which left the rig billowing smoke for much of the day.
and spewing some 60,000 barrels a day.
"it's a much smaller platform in much shallower water," she said.
Sarah Bucci, field associate for Environment Florida, released a statement that was echoed by the National Audubon Society, the National Wildlife Federation and Greenpeace: "President Obama should need no further wake-up call to permanently ban new drilling."
Still, critics immediately seized on the accident to bolster arguments that offshore energy operations are too risky to continue - at least without stringent new safeguards - or expand into new areas, such as off Florida.