2B
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DARRY KANSAN
THURSDAY JANUARY 25, 2007
>> COMMENTARY
Neutral ground a poor decision
BY C.J. MOORE
KANSAN SPORTS COLUMNIST
CJMOORE@KANSAN.COM
It sure sounded like a genius plan. Kansas and Missouri athletic departments made the decision this week to move the annual Kansas-Missouri hatefest to a neutral site, Arrowhead Stadium.
Let's pack thousands of students from two opposing schools that absolutely despise each other together in the same stadium, mix in some alcohol and see what ensues. The real Border War must take place in the parking lot, not the playing field.
Athletics Director Lew Perkins might as well have said the heck with the environment, pleasing the students or the outcome of the game, moving the game away from Lawrence and Columbia just made more cents. But it doesn't make much sense.
It's a shame too, because Kansas football was starting to become the "it" thing to do on a fall Saturday in Lawrence. The Jlayhaws have developed an actual home field advantage. The team has won 11 of 13 games the past two years at Memorial Stadium while going 2-9 away from Lawrence over that time span.
Jayhawk fans have started to show up to wave the wheat in record numbers. Fans arrive early in the morning to tailgate. It's an all-day experience.
Students and alumni have finally embraced the football team. So how does the Athletics Department choose to thank the KU faithful?
Well, by moving the most anticipated game of the year, of course.
Take a look at the 2007 home schedule now. It's quite a doozy Powerhouses Central Michigan, Southeast Louisiana, Toledo and Florida International fill the nonconference home slate. Northwestern Appalachian State Tech was all booked. Big 12 powers Baylor and Iowa State both travel to Lawrence next season, leaving one home game on the schedule that should actually make football fans excited to spend a Saturday away from their couches, the Nebraska game.
But, hey, playing against the Tigers in Lawrence just wasn't going to bring in the almighty dollar.
Speaking of which, shouldn't Perkins and company ease up on chasing the green at every opportunity?
I could understand this move back when Perkins arrived, although it still would have been a bad idea. Back then the Kansas Athletics Department was near the bottom of the Big 12 Conference in bringing in revenues. The department was in debt.
But things have changed.
Kansas ranked third in the Big 12 last year in total revenues, generating nearly $70 million. Kansas now has the most profitable athletics department in the conference. Kansas athletics generated $22.5 million more revenue than its expenses last year. And it's because of Perkins.
Hes made the right moves. He's made a few people mad along the way, but he's played the game the way it has to be played. However, this is just unnecessary.
Sure, Kansas will receive at least $1 million for playing the game at Arrowhead for the next two years. That may look like a big number to college students rummaging through the couch cushions for some change to help pay for a slice at the Wheel, but that's chump change for Perkins. All he would have to do is say "pretty please" and recent donors to the department Dana Anderson, Tom Kivisto or some other rich alum would hand over that kind of money without hesitation.
This shouldn't be about money. This game is for the fans and the players. And now it's an inconvenience for the fans and a disadvantage for the team. The Jayhawks have owned the Tigers the past two games at Memorial Stadium. And next season with almost all of coach Mark Mangino's roster back a year older, combined with an easy Big 12 South schedule with no Oklahoma and no Texas, Kansas has a shot at playing a meaningful game in the regular season finale. Maybe playing for a Big 12 North title (Hey, it's January, let me dream).
It's too late to stop Perkins and his money-hungry cronies now, but make sure this game is back where it belongs, on campus, in 2009. Write a letter. Make a phone call. Let them know you're not happy.
And finally, hit them where it hurts the most – in the wallet. Instead of paying $25 for parking and tailgating on a slab of concrete with beautiful 1-70 and a Denny's as a backdrop, then watching football with a bunch of Tiger fans, boycott the game until it returns to the Free State.
Kansan staff writer C.J. Moore can be contacted at cjmoore@kansan.com.
Edited by Sharla Shivers
WILDLIFE
11th annual Eagle Day celebrates birds' return
An eagle rests during the Kaw Valley Eagle Day event. The birds were included in presentations as well as observed in their natural habitat
BY TYLER KLAUS
Once a year, Lawrence residents are invited to celebrate the return of the eagles to Clinton State Park. The 11th annual Kaw Valley Eagle Day event was on Sunday at Free State High School. The event was presented by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks in association with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and lavahk Audubon Society.
Anna Faltermier/KANSAN
The free event featured an injured five year-old bald eagle and a golden eagle from the Prairie Park Nature Center. It also included five special presentations and more than 10 exhibits for people of all ages.
Two of the presentations were given by KU professors, Kelly Kindscher and Chip Taylor. Kindscher, courtesy associate professor in the division of biological studies, spoke on wildflowers in Douglas County.
"I encourage people to use the prairie." Kindscher said, "Wild harvesters do not hurt it; only converting the land to other uses affects it negatively."
Bunnie Watkins, ranger with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Perry Lake, said, "You have no idea how many people live here all their lives and do not know we
After Kindschers presentation, Tavlor, professor of entomology, discussed monarch butterflies and their habitat.
have eagles."
The event usually has around 1,000 people, but this year had around 500 because of the snow. Watkins said.
David Rhoades, Clinton State Park manager, said they provided field trips to nearby Clinton Lake from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to view bald eagles in their native habitat.
Mike Watkins, wildlife biologist with the U.S. Army Corps of
"We like to take everyone to see them in the wild," he said.
Engineers, said the first pair of bald eagles nested in Kansas at Clinton Lake in 1989. Since then, 42 eagles have nested, hatched and fled from Clinton Lake. The eagles migrate to Kansas in the winter and stay until March.
Kansan sportswriter Tyler Klaus can be contacted at tklaus@kansan.com.
Edited by Lisa Tilsom
for more info
> Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks www.kdwp.state.ks.us
Jayhawk Audubon Society
www.jayhawkaudubon.org
> U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
www.usace.army.mil
in brief
First baseman earns pre-season honor
Sophomore first baseman Preston Land was named to the pre-season All-Big 12 team by Baseball America on Wednesday.
In his rookie season, Land started 49 games. He helped provide the offensive power for
route to its first Big 12 Championship, Land hit .314 as a freshman with 33 RBI and nine home runs, a Jayhawk freshman record.
Land was a Kansas City Star Player of the Year during his high school career at Lee's
Summit, in Greenwood, Mo. Last year, he split his time as first baseman and assigned hitter.
— Alissa Bauer
Land and the Jayhawks open their season Feb. 1 against the University of Hawaii-Hilo.
Senior softball pitcher one of top 50 players-to-watch
Kansas senior pitcher Kassie Humphreys was named to the USA Softball National Collegiate
Player of the Year Award Top 50 Watch List on Tuesday.
Humphreys was an All-Big 12 First Team selection last season, compiling a 19-17 record and a
Still Best Cash for Books Jayhawk Bookstore ...at the top of Naismith Hill
Humphreys
1. 19 ERA. She also helped lead the Jayhawks to their first Big 12 Tournament title and second straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
The top 50 list will be pared down to 10 in early May, and a winner will be selected later in the month.
—Kansan Staff Report
The Kansas softball season begins its season Feb. 8, against the university of California-Santa Barbara in San Diego.
>> NATION
District attorney faces charges from state bar
AARON BEARD
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Mike Nifong — who withdrew from the case earlier this month — could be disbarred if convicted by a disciplinary board.
RALEIGH, N.C. — The state bar lodged new and more serious ethics charges Wednesday against the district attorney in the Duke lacrosse case, accusing him of withholding evidence from the defense and lying to both the court and bar investigators.
The bar previously charged Nifong with making misleading and prejudicial comments about the athletes under suspicion.
The new charges are tied to Nifong's decision to use a private lab for DNA testing as his office investigated allegations three men raped a 28 year-old stripper at a team party last March.
Those tests uncovered genetic material from several men on the woman's underwear and body, but none from any lacrosse player. The bar complaint alleges that those results were not released to the defense and that Nifong repeatedly said in court he had turned over all evidence that could benefit the defense.
"If these allegations are true and if they don't justify disbar
ment, then I'm not sure what does," said Joseph Kennedy, a law professor at the University of North Carolina. "It's hard for me to imagine a more serious set of allegations against a prosecutor."
The new charges "have significantly increased the chances (for a serious sanction, possibly including suspension or disbarment," said Thomas Metzloff, a Duke law professor and member of the bar's ethics committee, which is not involved in prosecuting the case against Nifong.
Nitong's trial on the ethics charges is set for May, though bar officials said Wednesday they expect it to be delayed until June.
He declined to comment Wednesday.
"I'd say any time any charges are filed with the state bar, they're all serious, and we want to make sure we handle them all properly," said his attorney David Freedman.
Citing the conflict of interest created by the ethics charges, Nifong asked the North Carolina attorney general's office to take over the lacrosse case.
Nifong dropped rape charges against the three athletes in December after the accuser changed a key detail in her account, but the players are still charged with sexual offense and kidnapping.
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