what we heard "I like Brady, and it doesn't mean he's a bad guy because he took steroids." Jim Palmer, hall-of-fame pitcher about former Baltimore Oriole Brady Anderson who hit 50 home runs in 1996, 29 more than he hit in 1995.
off the bench
2B the university daily kansan
wednesday, march 17, 2004
TODAY
Kansas athletics calendar
Football practice open to public and public, 3:30 p.m.
TOMORROW
FRIDAY
Track and Field at ESU Twilight, all day
Swimming at NCAA Championships, all day
Softball vs. Bradley, 2 p.m.
Swimming at NCAA Championships, all day
Nate's Basketball vs. UIC, 8:55 p.m.
SATURDAY
**Swimming** at NCAA Championships, all day
**Tennis** at Colorado, 11 a.m.
**Baseball** vs. Western Illinois, noon
**Softball** at Portland State, 1 p.m.
SUNDAY
**Women's Golf at Rawls Longhorn Invite, all day**
**Baseball vs. Western Illinois, 1 p.m.**
**Softball at Oregon State, 1 p.m.**
Free for All
Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. Kansan editors reserve the right to omit comments. Slanderous and obscene statements will not be printed. Phone numbers of all incoming calls are recorded. From more comments, go to www.kansan.com
Call 864-0500
No its not weird for you to see Bill Self going tanning. He has been doing it since he was in Illinois. I've seen him do it.
Why don't we ever hear anything about lacrosse? Lacrosse rocks.
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Christian Moody, you're such a disease.
Holy toledo. Brett Olson needs some tape because he is ripped.
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Padgett was the bomb in Phantoms. Oh wait, that was Affleck. I withdraw my Free for All comment.
GOLF
Golfweek Magazine has ranked the University of Kansas men's golf team as the no.25 team in the country.
Kansas golf team achieves highest ranking in five years
It is the highest ranking for the golf team in the past five years.
Kansas has been hot early this spring season, recording top-10 finishes in its first three tournaments.
Kansas will return to action March 22 and 23 when it travels to Santa Cruz, Calif., for the 58th Western Intercollegiate at the Pasatiempo Golf Course.
-Kansan staff reports
Shot tossin'
Brad Johnson, Kansas City, Kan., resident, trained for shotput with the Kansas track team yesterday. Johnson was training for the Olympic Trials in July. Throwers are expected to throw about 65-feet-8 for the event. Johnson has been throwing an average of 63 feet.
Tar Heels eager for Madness
The Associated Press
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - When Jackie Manuel decided to play basketball at North Carolina, he certainly shouldn't have expected to be answering questions about the failure of the program.
But there he was yesterday, talking about making his first NCAA tournament appearance, shocking, considering the Tar Heels' longtime standing as a national power.
They haven't been the tournament
Williams
Then things got worse. The next season, North Carolina went 8-20, ending a run of 27 straight NCAA appearances.
since a loss to Penn State in the second round in 2001.
"It was rough," said Manuel, a freshman on that team. "I expected a winning season, NCAA tournament and the
Final Four.
Final Four:
"We didn't live up to those expectations, so it was really tough on me, especially being so young."
"We're concerned a little bit, but I think I'm hoping that our hunger will make that be a positive for us," he said. "I cannot imagine ... anybody in the country being more hungry than we are. If we're not hungry now, then we've got some major, major problems."
Now, the Tar Heels are back as the No. 6 seed in the Atlanta Regional. North Carolina, with not a single player who has been in the tournament, opens play tomorrow against Air Force.
After playing in the NIT last year, North Carolina turned to Williams, bringing Dean Smith's former assistant back to his alma mater to return the storied program to prominence.
The inexperience makes coach Roy Williams wonder what's in store for his team.
Williams left North Carolina in the middle of its streak, but returned to find the roster lacking tournament experience that once seemed a birthright.
In fact, North Carolina has the same amount of experience as the 11th-seeded Falcons, and they're making their first trip to the NCAA tourney in 42 years.
NCAA tournament berths
Williams had led Kansas to 14 straight
42 years. North Carolina is in the tournament for the 36th time, tying it with UCLA for second-most appearances. Kentucky, the top-seed in the St. Louis Regional, is first with 45.
three national champions This year's group of Tar Heels wants to add to that lore and erase the memories of the past two seasons.
In addition, North Carolina is 81-35 all-time in the tournament with a record 15 trips to the Final Four and three national championships.
"We want to win, simple as that," said forward Jawad Williams, also a freshman on Matt Doherty's 8-20 team of 2001-02. "I don't think anybody's ready to go home and call it a year yet."
Royals out slug Rangers
The Associated Press
SURPRISE, Ariz. — Left-hander Chris George, who is trying to regain a berth in the Kansas City Royals' rotation after going back go the minors last July, gave up a home run to the Texas Rangers' Hank Blalock but retired the final seven batters he faced as the Royals beat the Rangers 12-7
vesterday.
Blalock hit George's first pitch out for his third home run of spring training.
George allowed back-to-back singles to Alfonso Soriano and Brad Fullmer after Blalock's homer, but nothing after that.
ing after that. "I really wasn't unhappy with my first inning, just my first pitch," George said.
Blalock hit a George fastball
Blairlock hit a George flash.
"I didn't have to turn around to watch it," George said. "He got all of it."
George made the Royals after spring training last year and won nine games, but a 7.11 earned run average got him optioned to Class AAA Omaha in July.
The Royals stroked 18 hits, including six doubles and a triple by Carlos Beltran.
Joe Randa also had two hits and drove in a pair of runs.
Ken Harvey led the Royals' offense, going 3-for-3 with a double and twoRBIs, while David Dejesus went 2-for-3 with two doubles.
Rangers starter Kenny Rogers faced 20 battles and allowed 11 to reach base — 10 hits and one walk — in 3 and 1/3 innings to take the loss. Rogers was charged with seven runs, six earned.
six earned.
"Some of the base hits he gave up made you shake your head, but that's the way it goes," Rangers manager Buck Showalter said.
Snowalter said:
Rod Barajas went 3-for-4 with a home run and double and drove in four runs for the Rangers.
"I've been working my tail off with Rudy," Barajas said, speaking about hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo. "Rudy is one of the best. He's got me seeing the ball and just reacting. I got a couple of good pitches to hit and just took advantage."
advantage. Said Showalter on Barajas, "Nothing we didn't know or weren't expecting. He's got a lot of offensive potential and is a pretty good catcher."
Rovals and Rangers team notes
The Rangers optioned infielder Jason Bourgeois to Class AA Frisco and have 49 players in camp, including 14 non-roster invites.
Royals right-hander Brad Voyles cleared waivers and was sent to Class AAA Omaha. They have 46 players in camp.
K