KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2010 / SPORTS / 9A
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do."
John Wooden
FACT OF THE DAY
— Kansas Athletics
Kansas has won 20 straight home night games.
TRIVIA OF THE DAY
Q: What was Mark Mangino's record his first year as head coach for Kansas?
A: 2-10 (0-8 in the Big 12)
Kansas Athletics
NFL
Talib suspended for Bucs season opener
Former Jayhawk and Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib has been suspended one game and fined an additional game check for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy.
The Buccaneers open their season against the Cleveland Browns Sept. 12. Each game check - Talib will lose two in the suspension - is worth $83,382.35
Last year, Talib was arrested for assaulting a cab driver and
Talib
ordered to take anger management classes. He reportedly told NFL teams that he tested positive for marijuana three times at Kansas, but has not failed a drug
test in the NFL.
"Since last fall, Aqib has done all that's been asked of him and more, on and especially off the field." Buccaneers general manager Mark Dominik said in a statement. "We look forward to his return to the field in Week 2."
Talib, arguably the best corner-back to ever play at Kansas, was a Buccaneers first-round pick in the 2008 draft. He has had nine interceptions over the course of his two-year NFL career.
Tim Dwyer
MORNING BREW
New voice vitalizes Madden 11
G us Johnson has a way of making me think that my virtual touchdowns actually mean something
As the new commentator of Madden 11, Gu-jo brings a whole new dimension to decades of gaming. There is no better man to call any game, let alone every game when you turn on your gaming system.
If you asked me to compare Madden 11 with NCAA Football 11, there is no comparison.
I can simplify the two games with a math equation: Kirk Burstreit and Brad Nessler < Gus Johnson and Cris Collinsworth.
You don't even need to put Collinsworth in the equation. His remarks are witty and rather smarvy, making him a powerful asset to the Madden family.
But Johnson is over the top, and everyone who watches his games knows this. He feels the game and lets us all feel the same way. He's not afraid to put his emotions out there and it makes him unique among commentators.
I find myself cracking up at some of his remarks.
When I break a 70-yard touchdown and the Gu-Jo starts singing the 1960s Batman theme, I am in gaming heaven.
I tried to play the game without sound and it was not the same. When you throw
BY COREY THIBODEAUX cthibodeaux@kansan.com
a deep pass, Johnson will freak out without fail. It doesn't matter whether you complete the pass or not, he's going to yell, "HE'S GOING FOR IT ALL!"
And it never gets old.
Playing as my favorite team — the San Diego Chargers — he sings the "Super Charger" theme song when you score a touchdown. Ladies and gentleman, there exists no greater sound.
He's awesome because of the little things. He says "first down" with more enthusiasm than Dick Vitale yells "Yeah, baby!" Reading what he says in paper doesn't leave nearly the same impression as it does in the game
People love Gus Johnson. I've also met people that are scared of him. He just tells it like it is.
There needs to be a system where Gus
Johnson calls any close game, no matter what sport it is or what network it's on. His enthusiasm is just unmatched.
Just listen to the Xavier and Kansas State game from the NCAA earlier this year. A commentator's masterpiece.
A couple Gu-Jo gems:
"He's got gettin' away from the cop speed!"
-Edited by Emily McCoy
My name is Harrington! I get buckets! In print, these do not hold the same effect. Just go to the soundboard at gusjohn-songsbuckets.com and let Gu-Jo narrate your life.
Brits pick up interest in football
MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE
ARLINGTON, Texas — Karl Baumann surveyed the locker room, fixing his gaze on the poster of each Dallas Cowboys cheerleader on the wall above her locker.
"I never realized the cheerleaders had their own locker room," he said. "This stadium is absolutely awesome. Now, Wembley is impressive, but this is the best stadium I've ever seen."
The network has more than 16 percent of the population in Britain, and although American football has a cult audience, it is growing and passionate.
Baumann is a producer at Sky Sports, the ESPN of Great Britain. He oversees the network's coverage of the NFL, which includes regular-season games — a triple-header on Thanksgiving — the playoffs and Super Bowl.
Sky Sports is preparing to launch its NFL season and Baumann was getting a tour of Cowboys Stadium, where Super Bowl XLV will be played Feb. 6.
"My best friend in the world would rather put pins in his eyes than watch football," Baumann said, "but the 5 percent who watch it would sell their mom to get tickets to the Super Bowl."
Baumann was part of a mini-British Invasion at Cowboys Stadium this week. Andrew Hill, managing director of Sports Travel Tours, was also on-site talking about the travel packages offered NFL fans in Europe that include a stay of three or four nights at the Arlington Hilton and prime tickets to a Cowboys regular-season home game.
Working with the Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau, Hill's travel company purchases 30 season tickets. Fornier Boys wide receiver Drew Pearson has been recruited to
be the guest celebrity coach, who meets with the 30 to 50 tourists the night before the game, giving a "chalk talk," telling stories and answering questions.
"The fans who come over really know their stuff." Hill said.
Their stay involves a trip to Billy Bob's in the Fort Worth Stockyards, a Six Flags visit for thrill seekers and a beer-and-burger-style tailgate party on the day of the game. This is the 12th year of the Cowboys travel tours.
Baumann and Hill actually played American football in British leagues.
Hill, an inside linebacker, said that interest in Germany and Austria is even greater. But both believe the NFL can become a niche sport in Britain, after soccer, cricket and rugby.
NFL Europe helped generate interest during its existence, but there wasn't a big enough fan base on the continent to support 10 teams, which the league had in its debut in 1991. But it is another matter for the annual regular-season NFL game at the new Wembley Stadium.
"We had 500,000 people apply for tickets," Baumann said. "Wembley seats 86,000 and last year's Bucs-Patriots game sold out in six minutes."
Baumann said that the game gets special treatment.
"We paint it as our Super Bowl," he said. "Sky Sports takes the live feed from the American network televising the game and then adds its own touches, including analysis, pregame show and "a lot of humor."
THIS WEEK IN KANSAS ATHLETICS
TODAY
No events scheduled
FRIDAY
Volleyball vs. Akron 12:00 p.m.
Volleyball vs. Arkansas 7:00 p.m.
Soccer at Northwestern 7:00 p.m.
SATURDAY
Cross Country
Bob Timmons Classic
9:00 a.m.
Lawrence, Kan.
Volleyball
vs. Chattanooga
1:00 p.m.
Football vs. North Dakota State 6:00 p.m.
SUNDAY
Soccer
Illinois State
1:00 p.m.
Normal, Ill.
Men's Golf
Turning Stone-Tiger Intercollegiate
All Day
Verona, N.Y.
MLS
Wizards coach gets kicked by the law
GARDNER — The head coach of the Kansas City Wizards is accused of drunken driving after being pulled over in Gardner.
Police reports show 43-year-old Peter Vermes was arrested early Aug.24 on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Police say Vermes posted $750 bond and was released after spending about six hours in jail.
Vermes is a former Wizards player and was a member of the 1990 U.S. World Cup team.
Vermes is scheduled to appear in Court on Nov. 9.
U. S. BASKETBALL
Associated Press
Close call keeps team in line
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ISTANBUL — Derrick Rose thought it was going in. So did Leandro Barbosa, who shot it.
Instead, Brazil's attempt to tie at the buzzer fell out, and the United States remained unbeaten, though no longer unchallenged.
A world championship won't come easily for this young team — if it comes at all — so the Americans believe their 70-68 victory over Brazil on Monday will help them in the later rounds.
"Sometimes family that goes through adversity gets a little better," center Lamar Odom said. "It's a game we probably needed. Probably a good tuneup, especially going into the medal rounds, trying to finish up this tournament."
Kevin Durant scored 27 points and Chauncey Billups added 15 for the Americans (3-0), who essentially clinched Group B with the victory. But they have bigger goals than a group championship,
a 16-year U.S. drought in this event.
This U.S. team has to do without Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and all the other players who led the Americans
He missed the first free throw and then the second intentionally, tracking it down in the corner and firing it underneath to Barbosa, who lofted a shot over Kevin Love, only to have it bounce off the back and front of the rim.
"We know that teams are really coming in here to try to win this tournament and we're here to do the same."
But they couldn't build on the lead during a tense final few minutes, and Brazil had two chances to send the game to overtime.
Following a miss by Billups, Brazil got the ball and Marcelo Huertas was fouled on a drive to the basket with 3.5 seconds remaining.
After the Americans trailed most of the first $2\frac{1}{2}$ quarters, Odom's dunk with 7:14 left put them ahead 64-62.
"I thought it was going in, but it's OK," Barbosa said. "I think we did a great job, it was a great game. I don't think the USA knew that we could cause problems for
"Probably a good tuneuo, especially going into the medal rounds..."
to the gold medal in the 2008 Olympics, and those guys never needed breaks at the buzzer.
"This game right here was an eye opener," said Rose, the only other U.S. player in double figures with 11 points.
Barbosa finished with 14 points after a strong start for Brazil (2-1). Marcus Vinicius scored 16, and Tiago Splitter had 13 points and 10 rebounds while
LAMAR ODOM USA center
them and we did it"
The Americans have plenty to work on before worrying about that, after needing a huge night from Durant and 31 minutes from Billups, the old man of the team at 33 who had their only basket in the final 6:50.
out with an injury and Varejao sat out again while continuing to rest a sprained right ankle, so the Brazilians turned to a speed game to lead much of the way.
battling foul trouble in the second half.
They just couldn't finish the upset, leaving the Americans needing only a victory over Iran or Tunisia, the bottom two teams in Group B, or another Brazil loss to earn the top seed from the group and three full days off before meeting the No. 4 seed from Group A on Sept. 6.
With NBA big men Nene, Anderson Varejao and Splitter, Brazil was considered one of the teams with enough size to topple the Americans. Nene had to pull
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