8A / SPORTS / TUESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
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Congress should enact cap and trade legislation
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TUESDAY
AUGUST
31
2010
7:30 PM
ROBERT J. DOLE
INSTITUTE OF POLITICS
SOCCER
Crowd's energy helps KU shut out opponent
BY JACKSON DELAY jdelay@kansan.com
People who don't like to watch soccer often complain of not enough action, scoring, or excitement. In Thursday's opener against Eastern Kentucky the Jayhawks took care of the first two complains by posting 20 shots and netting 3 goals in their 3-0 route of Eastern Kentucky. But, it was the crowd who played a role in keeping the energy and excitement level up throughout the game.
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Senior midfielder Caitlin Noble.
who scored the first goal of the game in the 13th minute from a corner kick by Erin Lewis, could sense the excitement as well.
"It's a totally different atmosphere," she said. "I've never seen that many people here."
A major part of the crowd intensity was generated by the student fan section, which was made up mostly of the KU Men's Soccer Club team, and members of previous KU women's soccer teams. This rowdy crowd had everything from a bass drum to a few Word Cup-esque vuvuzelas.
Men's Soccer Club Vice President
"The girls work their tails off to excite KU, and they expect us to support them," Argianas said. "We want to bring the excitement back to soccer."
Jim Argianas was in attendance and had a simple reason for contributing to the cheering.
The section varied its chants from the traditional "Lets go Jayhawks!" to chants not usually associated with soccer, like yelling "Block that Kick" when Eastern Kentucky had a goal kick. In between chants, random vuvuzela sounds were common. Although their enthusiasm wasn't one you
Argianas said that their section plans to be out there every home game supporting their Jayhawks to victory. The next home game is 5 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Jayhawk Soccer Complex. And Noble says the vuvuzela playing, bass drum banging, random shouting group is appreciated by the team.
about supporting," she said. "Once a KU player, always a KU player."
would typically associate with soccer, Noble felt like their cheering helped.
"Every time when you start to get tired, you hear the drums, you hear the chants," she said. "When there are other people there just as hyped up about what you're doing it makes you feel better about doing it."
2009 graduate Shannon McCabe was among those in the crowd, but she offered a different perspective, having once been on the field receiving the cheering.
"When I was a player I appreciated the support. Alumni is all
"The whole atmosphere makes it so much more enjoyable to play," she said. "It's really fun to get a lot of people out here to support us."
— Edited by Sean Tokarz
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Nebraska departure could burn Big 12 bridges
Jerry Wang/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
JETTY WANG-AMY MEE PEE FROE
Nebraska' a-back Roy Heu breaks through the Kansas defense for a touchdown with 29 seconds remaining in the game last season at Memorial Stadium.
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LINCOLN, Neb. — The Nebraska Cornhuskers shouldn't expect a fond farewell from fans when they go on the road this fall.
Century-old relationships will end when Nebraska leaves the Big 12 for the Big Ten in 2011, meaning this season's visits to places like Kansas State and Iowa State could be it.
Folks in those old Big Eight haunts already are planning raucous sendoffs.
The message from Iowa State fan Adam Gray: "Don't let the door hit you on the way out."
Kansas State fan Tyler Fike said, "There is some resentment, but I don't think it will come to riots.
That's good to know, but Nebraska coach Bo Pelini wasn't experiencing problems anyway.
"You go through the conference, and the fans and institutions in the Big 12 are highly respected," he said. "Very classy programs, very classy fans."
That said, the Huskers should see to see plenty of rather chilly signs, T-shirts and chants.
Some fans feel as if the Huskers are scoundrels for abandoning longtime conference partners for greener — meaning richer — pastures. Others understand why Nebraska jumped at the chance to increase its revenue, broaden its exposure and enjoy the stability of the tradition-rich Big Ten.
situation like Nebraska, we would jump on it, too," said Brad Gober, a Kansas State senior majoring in secondary education.
Nebraska dominated series against the
"It it was looking like we were going to be bung out to dry," Gober said. "At first there was a lot of people really, really angry at Tom Osborne. Nebraska was pretty close to destroying the Big 12."
likes of Kansas State, Iowa State and Kansas, yet fans of those schools say they'll miss getting to see one of the nation's top programs in their backyards every other season.
"You go through the conference, and the fans and the institutions in the Big 12 are highly respected."
"You look at the records, and you would be a fool if you're a Jayhawk fan not to be delighted to get rid of them because we've won only about one out of every six games," said David Lawrence, a KU offensive lineman in the late 1970s who now is a radio commentator on the Jayhawk network. "But it's like losing a friend."
Before the Big 12 found a way to stay together, without Nebraska and Pac 10-bound Colorado, there was speculation that K-State, Iowa State and even basketball juggernaut Kansas would be without a BCS conference affiliation.
have met.
Nebraska goes to Oklahoma State on Oct. 23. The Huskers and Cowboys don't have as lengthy a history, though they met every year from 1960-95. Their annual games ended when the Big 12 assigned them to separate divisions.
The Huskers also play at home against Missouri, a continuous series since 1922; Colorado, 1948; and Texas, a team they've met only 13 times but a bitter rival of late.
Iowa State, which has played the Huskers 104 times since 1896 and every year since 1926, is lying in wait Nov. 6.
The final installment of the venerable Kansas-Nebraska series will be Nov. 13 in Lincoln. It will mark the 105th straight year the teams
Gober said K-Staters were agitated for a few days in June after Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne announced the school's intent to go to the Big Ten and the future of the Big 12 was in limbo.
Nebraska's first Big 12 road game is Oct. 7 at Kansas State, a team the Huskers have played 94 times since 1911 and every year since 1923.
It's always a special occasion when the Huskers visit Ames, and
BO PELINI
Nebraska coach
it's an even bigger deal this year, said Chris Williams, who runsthewebsite Cyclonefanatic. com.
"Iowa State has had it out for Nebraska for decades," Williams said.
"The realignment thing comes up and, right or wrong, Nebraska gets painted as the bad guy, and a lot of fans are upset about that. It's always hot when Nebraska comes to Ames. It's going to be a lot worse this year."
Williams said he expects ISU fans to come up with some creative ways to bid adieu to the Huskers.
"Nebraska fans don't realize what Iowa State fans were going through in June," Williams said. "They were talking about wiping Iowa State off the planet as far as big-time BCS college athletics go. A lot of people think Nebraska and Tom Osborne are the villain here."