THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2007
SPORTS
9B
COMMENTARY
New Nike experiment fails
This time,the swoosh went too far.
When Florida played Tennessee a few weeks back, followers of college hoops may have noticed something a little different about the reigning national champs' uniforms. Each Gator was modeling a shrunken top, complete with alligator-scale printing, and shorts so baggy Michael Jordan would've questioned the aesthetic direction he helped send the game in as a fresh-faced NBA newcomer.
BY DANIEL MOLINA
D BY Daniel MOLINA
KANSAN COLUMNIST
DMOLINA@KANSAN.COM
The uniform templates are yet another example in a long line of fashion statements chimped out by the Microsoft of college athletics. It seems like each year a handful of schools in Nike's stable receive ultra-exclusive digs. Cutting edge, ridiculous; whatever the verdicts are, they're almost always successful in one regard — generating lots of buzz and message board banter.
Who along with Florida was chosen to wear the company's latest jersey experiment? Drum roll please ... Ohio State, Arizona and Syracuse. Each school wore the outits in their respective conference tournals last week, to mixed reviews.
The switch to the outfits, temporary as of now, is borderline acceptable for only two of the four teams, Ohio State and Florida, as both have experienced recent success. The second pair, Arizona and Syracuse, should know better. They both have legendary coaches and recent success to go along with respectable basketball histories.
I think the new-age tops are worth giving a try. When worn with the undershirts, they have an Under Armour sleeveless to
them and the smaller details on each teams' versions give a nod to the schools' past in a creative way. Plus, there's the functional aspect. Players say it helps eliminate opponents from grabbing their jersey to get an advantage on defense.
It's when you take a gander at the short part of the ensemble that hilarity ensues and each school's reputation takes a slight hit. So far the best analogy I've been able to come up with for them is a pair of extremely high-water "hammer" pants.
Kansas fans should be counting their lucky stars the Athletics Department ditched Nike as its official apparel provider back in 2005. Although it's doubtful Bill's boys would have donned the new getups, the basketball program would still be within grasp of the mad scientists over at Nike.
It's other template currently being force-fed on college basketball, the "shoulder slashes," if you will, is already growing old. And let's not forget the "Elite" jerseys released to a select group of schools a few years back and still in use today, sometimes in combination with the shoulder slashes.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
If any program is above Nikes "Elite" distinction and conforming to half of college basketball, and high school, sadly enough, it's Kansas. Some people, such as Nikie
Ohio State wore Nike's form-fitting uniforms last week at the Big Ten Tournament in Chicago.
executives, may think it's great that you can take one glance at a team and know if it's a Nike school. Personally, I think it offends each program's unique history.
I'll take Adidas' simple, yet effective style instead of the swoosh's "premium performance" uniforms any day because let's face it: Nike wants each of its schools to stand out from the crowd ... the Nike way.
Molina is an Olathe sophomore in journalism.
>> PGA
Head games and power advantages
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ORLANDO, Fla. — Arnold Palmer can change the pat at his golf course. He can't change what he said 47 years ago.
"It would give me 280," Palmer told him. "Doesn't 280 always win the Open?"
One of the most famous exchanges with Palmer happened in the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills, when he was seven shots behind going into the final round. Speaking with Pittsburgh sports writer Bob Drum, Palmer wondered what would happen if he drove the green on the first hole and went on to shoot 65.
What Palmer would have said today is, "It would give me even par. Doesn't even par always win the Open?"
Par has been a fixation in this country for more than 50 years, dating to 1951 when two par 5s were converted to par 4s at Oakland Hills and the U.S. Open played as a par 70. Ben Hogan won and later said he was glad he brought "this monster" to its knees.
Would he have said the same if he had finished at 1-under 287 instead of 7-over 287?
It's all about perception.
"We can get caught up too much in numbers," Ben Crenshaw said Monday. "You still add up your score at the end of the round. And
they're still going to give the trophy away to the guy with the lowest score."
That's worth noting because twice in the last three weeks on the Florida swing, the courses have played as a par 70. Mark Wilson won the four-man playoff at the Honda Classic after finishing at 5-under 275 at PGA National, which sounds like a more grueling week than if they had finished at 13-under 275.
Now, Palmer has converted Nos 4 and 16 at Bay Hill into par 4s, and it will play as a par 70 for the first time.
What he really meant was that he was tired of seeing the world's best players reach the green in two with a 5-iron in their hands, and this was the most cost-effective way of restoring the challenge.
"I did it just to make the golf course a little more competitive to par." Palmer said.
Take two weeks ago at the Honda Classic. The four players had to return Monday morning to resume the playoff on the 10th hole, which had been converted to a par 4 at more than 500 yards. Wilson isn't a big hitter and had a fairway metal left for his second shot. Camilo Virlegas is a power player and hit 4-iron.
Or at least making it feel like a challenge.
If it had been slightly longer as a par 5, Wilson would have laid up and Villegas could have reached in two.
Power always has been an advantage in golf.
More than anything, changing par matters more in the head than on the card.
"You're more bummed making a 5 on a par 5 than a par 4," Mark Calcavecchia said. "If they change it into a par 4 and you make 5, you figure you're not the only guy making bogey, it's a head game."
Todd Hamilton might have the best solution. The former British Open champion would like to see only one number on the signs at every tee, and that would be to identity what hole you're playing.
In some respects, Palmer is going back to the old days. Bay Hill used to be a par 71, with Nos. 4 and 16 as par 58 and the opening hole as a par 5. Over time, No. 1 went to a 4, while the other two were lengthened and became par 5s.
"Get rid of the par. Get rid of the yardage," he said. "Go play the course."
Joey Sindelar has played Bay Hill every year since 1984, and he can recall when the 16th was a par 4. He has seen that hole play as one of the toughest and one of the easiest, even though all that matters is the number he writes down.
Jayhawks eliminate past flaws
COMMENTARY
After two straight first-round disappointments for coach Bill Self, lajhawk fans are cautious about looking past Friday's game against play in winner Niagara, and rightfully so.
Fans can take a deep breath and relax because those former teams had serious flaws that this year's squad looks to have patched up.
Even beyond those issues, there is
Self's squad two seasons ago had more turmoil than any Kansas team in recent memory. After starting the season ranked as the nation's No. 1 team, the team entered the tournament losers of five out of the last eight regular season games and ended up a three seed. Star guard Keith Langford was nursing an injured ankle and recovering from a virus. Self inherited a squad full of Roy Williams' recruits that seemed to struggle to buy into his system of defense and toughness. Often during games, you could see Aaron Miles or Keith Langford shout back at their head coach. The fact that Williams admitted to keeping in regular contact with his former players throughout the season probably did not help matters.
a clear difference in talent between the two squads. The 2004-2005 team had one future NBA player in Wayne Simien, the 29th pick of the 2005 draft. This year's team has five potential first-round picks in Julian Wright, Brandon Rush, Darrell Arthur, Mario Chalmers and Sherron Collins. To emphasize the difference in talent, walk-on Christian Moody played 32 minutes in the Bucknell upset in 2005.
Last year's team had the same core as this season, but with two major differences; experience and depth.
— led by three freshmen and three sophomores — got cocky and failed to bring the intensity against Bradley that led the layhawks to a four seed. With all the key components returning this season, we can only hope that they learned their lesson.
Like the current team, last year's squad entered the tournament on a roll as Big 12 Tournament champions and having won 14 of its last 15 games. After defeating a powerful Texas squad in the final, the team
While Self brought in seldom-used guard Jeff Hawkins and the absent-minded C.J. Giles off the bench last season to form his seven man rotation, this year's team goes a legitimate nine deep. McDonald's All Americans Collins and Arthur provide an offensive spark with juniors Darnell Jackson and Rodrick Stewart recognizing their roles and providing stability when necessary.
While many jayhawk fans are still apprehensive after the past few seasons and refuse to break down a potential Villanova or Kentucky match-up with anyone, they can go ahead and start examining the bottom half of the West Region with confidence.
Sarraf is a Lawrence senior in journalism.
Edited by Stacey Couch
MLB
Twins, Cards take it easy in training
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Puijols grounded out and walked against the two-time AL Cy Young Award winner during the Minnesota Twins' 5-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday.
FORT MYERS, Fla. — It would have been a great regular-season match-up: Johan Santana vs. Albert Puiols.
"This was like my third time faceing him," Puiols said. "He wasn't throwing 100 percent. He was just trying to get ready for the season. He knows what he's doing out there. You always look forward to facing the best pitchers in the game."
In his other at bat, the 2005 NL MVP flied out against Dennis Reyns
in the fifth.
"He's a great player," Santana said. "That's part of my job, facing great players. I'm sure he feels the same way."
Pujols has averaged 41.6 home runs during the past six seasons. Santana has 55 victories in the past three seasons, an average of 18.3.
"They're both very aware of each other, let's put it that way." Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said.
Santana allowed two hits, struck out four and walked two in four scoreless innings. His ERA is 1.00.
best lefty in the game. You can take the word 'lefty' out, and I would say that, too."
"I just like it when I write Santana in the lineup," Twins manager R. Gardenhire said. "When I do write his name down, he makes us all look smart, Very smart. I think he's the
Cardinals shortstop David Eckstein started for the first time since the spring training opener Feb. 28, when he strained his left oblique muscle. He went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI groundout.
"He looked good out there." La Russa said.
Minnesota's Michael Cuddyer had two hits, including a double, and Alexi Casilla had an RBI single and a sacrifice fly.
Cardinals pitcher Kip Wells struck out three in the scoreless innings, allowing two hits and a walk.
"He has pitched very well." La Russa said.