Sports
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
ESPN GameDay is headed back to KU
The College GameDay crew makes its way back to Allen Fieldhouse to host rivalry game. BASKETBALL/9A
No paydays in college sports
Too many complications exist for student-athletes to be paid. MORNING BREW/92
THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 2010
WWW.KANSAN.COM
HE'S BACK! BUT ...
Jerry Wang/KANSAN
PAGE 10A
Former Jayhawk Xavier Henry answers questions during a press conference Wednesday afternoon in Allen Fieldhouse. Henry came back to Lawrence to work out with his former teammates and spoke about his goals for his rookie season.
Grizzlies' refusal to offer typical rookie deal forces Henry to wait
BY TIM DWYER
tdwyer@kansan.com
Xavier Henry has twice been committed to a Memphis basketball team.
He has yet to put on a jersey representing either of those teams.
Henry originally committed to play for coach John Calipari at Memphis before decommitting and joining the Kansas basketball team. After a year with the Jayhawks, Henry was selected 12th in the NBA Draft by none other than the Memphis Grizzlies.
But the Grizzlies are asking Henry to base an uncommonly large portion of his salary in performance benefits — incentives based on his play — so the 19-year-old has yet to sign. And once again, he's traded in Memphis, for Lawrence, arriving in town Monday night to work
out with the team and revisit the scene of his one year in college.
"I've missed this place a lot," Henry said. "So first chance I got since this busy summer, I got to hang out with Elijah (Johnson, sophomore guard) now and I spent a lot of time with him. It's been fun for me so far and I'm getting workouts in while I'm doing it."
The NBA has a rookie pay scale that bases the salary a player can receive on where he was selected in the draft, offering a salary that the team selecting the player can pay anywhere from 80 to 120 percent of. That number at the No. 12 draft slot is $1,683,500. Whereas nearly all teams offer the rookie the full 120 percent, the Grizzlies are offering Henry 80 percent of that number, with performance benefits enabling him to get to the full number — roughly $700,000 more.
It's not rare for rookies to have
performance benefits in their contracts to reach that maximum number, but those are usually limited to making a certain amount of public appearances or other off-the-court requirements. The Grizzlies, though, are insisting that Henry either a) play 15 minutes in at least 70 of 82 games, b) be named to the NBA All-Rookie team, or c) make the Rookie Showcase team over All-Star weekend at midseason.
Henry insists it's out of his control and that his agent Arn Tellem, a powerhouse in the NBA world, is handling the negotiations.
"He knows what he's doing way more than I would know," Henry said. "so I'm letting him handle it."
Henry, who said he loves Kansas and the warm reception from the fans, said he hopes Memphis basketball fans understand his predicament.
"I would hope that they don't
think it's me trying to hold out to play like I'm a stingy person," Henry said. "The basic principle is, if everybody gets what they're supposed to get then there's no problem. They're trying to change it up a little this year and I respect that, so I'm going to do what I have to do and me and my agent are going to take care of it."
"I'm not angry with him," Heisley said. "I expect him to play. He's going to have an opportunity to play a lot, and we need him. So my reaction to this is I'm expecting we'll get something done and he'll play for us this season."
Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley told The Commercial Appeal, the newspaper in Memphis, he is still hopeful that a deal will get done, despite having multiple trade offers for Henry on the table.
- Edited by Clark Goble
COMMENTARY
W with the first football game a week away
Analysis adds to fans' football experience
there is already a buzz of excitement on campus.
From what I saw last year there are two types of fans that attend games. First, there are the diehard fans who are not just there for the experience but for the inner workings of the game; therefore they are interested to see what will come of Toben Opurum's move from running back to linebacker. Then there are the more casual fans who know the basic happenings of the game like touchdowns and field goals, but they probably just cheer for the team without a lot of analysis.
If you are one of those people in the second group, but would like to move to the first, there is a quick fix. A year ago I found a book called "Get Your Own Damn Beer, I'm Watching the Game!! A Woman's Guide to Loving Pro Football." It is written by actress Holly Robinson Peete of "21 Jump Street" with some periodic commentary from her husband, former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete.
Family members and friends of mine have said that the environment at college games is much more fun than pro games and I believe that is because of the fans. We feel close to the
Though it runs the risk of being too feminine, considering the title and the pink font on the cover, it has legitimate information accompanied by occasional "cheat sheets," which contain topics ranging from the greatest Super Bowls and coaches to the 10 All-Time Great Football Butts. The first two would certainly come in handy during pregame or even in everyday conversations.
BY KATHLEEN GIER
kqier@kansan.com
athletes because we see them on Wescoe Beach and other places around campus.
I think that bond creates a special relationship between the fans and the players on the field. It pushes the crowd to choose favorite players and learn about them. This will ultimately lead to a more educated crowd, which makes the game more fun for everyone. Plus there is an undeniable rush when you shut someone down because their knowledge of the game is inferior to yours. Last year, a guy asked me, "Hey what happened to Briscoe? Why is he not starting?" I simply turned around and reminded the young man that Dezmon Briscoe was a wide receiver and our defense was out on the field.
If you decide not to read Peete's book, I won't be offended; we all have classes with a lot of reading. I found it entertaining and a nice refresher on positions and strategies I missed out on by not playing high school football. But please read up on the team. Knowing the players will be more challenging this year since coach Turner Gill decided to take their names off the jerseys, but it will be more impressive when you can name them just by number or position.
So enjoy football season in your own way and get ready to cheer on the Jayhawks next week.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Edited by Lisa Curran
BY KATHLEEN GIER
kgier@kansan.com
After second knee rehab, Goodrich gets a chance at playing a full season
Kansas fans are still waiting to see a full season from sophomore guard Angel Goodrich, who hasn't played a game since January due to her second ACL tear, this time in her left knee.
Goodrich tore her right ACL during the team's second practice of her freshman year. Goodrich, the top point guard recruit of 2008, was cleared to play in July after rehabilitating her second knee injury.
"I have been feeling good, really strong." Goodrich said. "I get nervous, but that is part of the deal in overcoming that."
This off-season was similar to last year's because of months of recovery, but approaching this season Goodrich said she feels positive.
"I am just looking forward to the season," Goodrich said. "I got to work out toward the end of the summer and that was
fun. Working with the freshmen has been fun and exciting and I cannot wait to get back."
Goodrich admitted that staying healthy is one of her biggest goals this season.
"Working with the freshmen has been fun and exciting and I can't wait to get back."
hopes to be more vocal and share some of her wisdom after watching her team's performance from the sideline the last part of the
"This year I am going to focus on keeping both of them strong and continuing rehab instead of going off of it for a while." Goodrich said.
ANGEL GOODRICH Sophomore guard
and part of that will be focusing on both knees.
"I saw what we were struggling with and I can be more vocal." Goodrich said. "Last year was my first year and I tried to be more vocal,
This season Goodrich also
season and the entire season before that.
but this year I need to step up more because we have lost some players." Goodrich said.
Most of all Goodrich is looking forward to getting back into the season and improving her game before competition starts.
"I am excited to get started and
Ryan Waggoner/KANSAN
get back out there, to get in the groove of things; the routine of practice and workout is everything," Goodrich said. "Working hard and getting better every day."
— Edited by Leslie Kinsman
Sophomore guard Angel Goodrich answers questions during an interview at Olympic Sports Media Day Wednesday afternoon at Allen Fieldhouse. Goodrich was recently cleared to play after suffering a serious knee injury last season.
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