NICK LOWERY BOOTED
A 17-year veteran, Nick Lowery, 40, owns the NFL record for most career field goals with 383 and is second on the NFL's career scoring list with 1,71.1 points, trailing only Hall of Famer George Blanda.
BILL PARCELLS made his first tough decision as head coach of the New York Jets. He got rid of the best kicker in football.
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN SPORTS
Lowery made 17 of 24 field goals and 26 of 27 extra points in 1996 his third
season with the Jets. He spent most of his career with Kansas City but made 54 of 68 field goals while with the Jets. His 11 100-point seasons are an NFCL record.
GRAF PULLS OUT OF TOURNAMENT
Plagued by a lingering knee injury, STEFIER GRAF yesterday pulled out of next week's WTA tournament in Hanover and also may miss Germany's F Cup match against the
Czech Republic in March.
Graf, 27, withdrew from the Toray Pan Pacific Open two weeks ago because of n aggravated patella tendon in her left knee.
ARBITRATIONS BEGIN
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1997
In the first case of a year that is likely to set a record for fewest salary arbitration hearings, Kansas City outfielder TOM GOODWIN argued for a five-fold salary increase.
Goodwin, who hit .282 last year and was second in the American League with 66 steals, asked arbitrator Theodore High for a raise from $312,500 to $1,795,000. Kansas City offered
The hearing was the first for the 80 players who filed for arbitration last month. Sixty-eight players have reached agreements with their teams before hearings, leaving 11 players still in arbitration.
SECTION B
Oiler looks into playing for Chiefs next season
HOUSTON — The Houston Oilers have given quarterback Chris Chandler permission to explore playing for the Kansas City Chiefs next season, Chandler said.
Chandler told KRIV radio that the Oilers had given him the go-ahead to visit the Chiefs. He will lose his starting job to Steve McNair in the next season.
Chandler was to inspect the Chiefs' facilities and meet with coach Marty Schottenheimer and other team officials yesterday. A Chiefs representative did not return a call seeking comment.
Chandler has two years left on his contract, which counts $2.2 million against the Oilers' salary cap. The teams would have to work out a trade for Chandler to join the Chiefs.
Chandler threw 16 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions last season. He became the target of criticism when the Oilers squandered a promising start to the season by fading in the second half and failed to make the plavoffs.
McNair, the $28 million quarterback who will be starting his third year next season, replaced Chandler late in the year when Chandler went down with a sprained ankle.
DALLAS — Hoping to set a legal precedent calling for better police work and more accurate reporting. Dallas Cowboys star Erik Williams has filed two lawsuits stemming from a false rape claim.
Cowboy files suits against police, station and reporter
Williams filed a federal lawsuit accusing police of violating his civil rights. The other case in state district court accuses the TV station that first reported the story and one of its reporters of defaming him.
The next day, KXAS reporter Marty Griffin reported Shahravan's allegation, and police later held a news conference that was widely broadcast. Shahravan confessed it was a hoax on Jan. 10, and the players were cleared immediately.
Former topless dancer Nina Shahravan told police Dec. 30 that she was raped the previous night by Williams at his home while teammate Michael Irwin pointed a gun at her and video-taped the attack.
City attorney Sam Lindsay said Williams was named by police because KXAS already had named him.
Both lawsuits seek unspecified damages. Ginsberg said Williams would donate any money he won to charity.
NORFOLK, Va. — Two veteran NBA referees face federal tax evasion charges in a twoyear Internal Revenue Service investigation.
While referees have the right to down-grade first-class tickets to coach class, they are required to report the extra money as income and pay taxes on it.
Henry C, Armstrong of Virginia Beach and George T, Toliver of Harrisonburg were indicted Wednesday by separate U.S. District Court grand juries. The men allegedly downgraded first-class airline tickets provided for NBA travel to cheaper coach-class tickets, pocketed the difference and failed to pay taxes on the money.
Armstrong faces a maximum of 18 years in prison if convicted. His initial court appearance is set for Feb. 26.
Officers who face up to nine years in
toliver if convicted.
Kansas set to stop stampede
NBA referees are indicted on charges of tax evasion
Both men also could face fines, Armstrong up to $1.5 million and Toliver up to $750,000, authorities said.
Sophomore center T.J. Pugh struggles for a shot in Wednesday's game against Oklahoma State.
Steve Puppe / KANSAN
The Associated Press
Buffalo team more successful than expected
By Bill Petulla
Kansan sportswriter
When the season began, a Kansas vs. Colorado matchup late in the season held as much intrigue as the Kansas-Washburn game.
After all, nearly every college basketball preseason magazine predicted the Buffaloes would finish at the bottom of the Big 12 Conference.
Despite defeating the Buffaloales 77-68 on Jan. 26, Kansas guard Jacque Vaughn said the Jayhawks wouldn't underestimate Colorado.
Apparently, Colorado didn't listen. The Buffaloes have taken the Big 12 by surprise this season. At 8-3, they are tied for second place in the conference with Iowa State.
"We know how good they are," Vaughn said. "But we want to protect our home turf."
Kansas is coming off Wednesday's 104-72 mission of Oklahoma State. The Jayhawks shot 63 percent from the floor and forced 11 turnovers.
Guard Jerod Haase, who is playing with a broken scaphoid bone in his shooting hand, shot a perfect 4 of 4 from the three-point line against Oklahoma State.
Kansas men's basketball coach Roy Williams praised Haase's commitment to shot selection.
"The best thing about him is he's taking very good shots," Williams said. "We talked all preseason about taking great shots, and Jerod is a very intelligent youngster who understands that and has accepted
"We know how good they are, but we want to protect our home turf."
Jacque Vaughn Kansas guard
that more than anybody else."
Colorado is fresh off a 91-66 loss at Oklahoma. Buffalo forward Martice Moore said Colorado didn't show up on the defensive end.
"I personally feel like we didn't play any defense," Moore told the Denver Post following Wednesday's loss. "We have to take a good look at our work ethic because the last couple of games we didn't guard anybody."
Guard Chauncey Billups leads the Buffaloes in scoring with 20.1 points per game.
bullips is the team leader in three-point shooting, steals and assists.
"We've got to have other guys to step up," Patton said. "In the five games that Chauance Billups has scored over 30, CU is 1-4."
Lately, Patton has been involved in rumors away from the basketball court. He is considered one of the leading candidates in replacing outgoing Memphis men's basketball coach Larry Finch.
Colorado men's basketball coach Ricardo Patton said the Buffaloes needed to rely on more players than Billups.
In the first meeting between Kansas and Colorado, forward Raef LaFrentz led the Jayhawks with 21
Williams said that despite winning at Colorado earlier this season, playing the Buffaloes at home wouldn't be any easier.
KANSAN
points, 10 of which came in the final nine minutes. Billups paced the Buffaloes with 23 points in Boulder. Colorado actually took a one-point lead with 7:56 remaining, until LaFrentz took the game into his hands.
"We probably get more focused on the road than we do at home," Williams said. "We can't take the home court for granted. I have yet to see a home crowd win a game."
Jayhawks to fight Buffs for first place
By Tommy Gallagher
Kansan sportswriter
A share of the Big 12 Conference lead will be at stake when the No. 14 Kansas women's basketball team plays Colorado at 7 p.m. tomorrow in Boulder.
Kansas, Colorado and No. 11 Trees are tied for the conference lead with 9-2 records.
The Jayhawks and Buffaloes met Jan. 25 in Kansas' annual Fill The Field House game. Kansas notched a 61-58 victory in front of more than 10,000 people.
Between an overtime road win at Oklahoma State Wednesday night and tomorrow's road game, Kansas women's basketball coach Marian Washington said her team needed to find a balance between work and play.
"We need to find a way for them to combine classes and, at the same, be well-rested so they can play effectively." Washington said. "Everybody tries to win their games at home because wins on the road are hard to come by in this conference. Colorado will be a tough place to play, so we have to stay focused."
In trying to keep her players well-rested, nine Jayhawks played more than 21 minutes against Oldahoma State. Kansas center Nakia Sanford played a team-high 31 minutes before she fouled out with 12 seconds left to play.
A concern for the Jayhawks will be stopping the Buffalooes' three-forward frontcourt of Lauri Weathers, Erin Scholz and Raegan Scott.
Despite going to Oklahoma State and Colorado tomorrow, the players missed class only on Wednesday.
She was the only Jayhawk to play more than 29 minutes in the 45-minute game.
Weathers scored 13 points in the first half against Kansas three weeks ago but did not score in the second. She averages 9.3 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.
Scholz averages 14.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, while Scott averages 11.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.
Scott recorded 17 points and nine rebounds in the first meeting with Kansas, while Scholz was held to eight points and five rebounds.
Saturday's game
KANSAN
Kansas has not swept Colorado in the regular season since 1991. The Jayhawks also defeated the Buffaloes in the Big Eight Conference tournament that year, which gave Kansas a 3-0 record against Colorado.
"The game will probably be close until the end," Kansas guard Tamecka Dixon said. "We have to execute our offensive plays, and we've got to play tough on defense. When we play Colorado it'll always be a battle, so you can never let down your guard until the game's over."
Increase by deception
I've always hated it when someone says he or she will do one thing and then does the opposite. Maybe that's why I'm still fuming about the increase in student ticket combo packages for basketball and football tickets.
For everyone else, individual ticket prices will rise $5 and $4. That makes the student combos $91, individual football tickets $26 and basketball tickets $25.
(Does anyone wonder why our sub-par football team is going to cost more to see than our top-ranked basketball squad? These increases are meant to support $32.3 million in renovations to Allen Field House and Memorial Stadium.
First of all, the Athletic Department pulled a fast one on students and have yet to be held accountable.
A few things about all this leave a lot of unanswered questions.
For those who do not know, the Kansas
When the department unveiled its remodeling scheme, it announced — on the press release, no less — that student ticket prices would NOT increase. The department lied.
Just a few weeks later, Bob Frederick, athletic director, and his partners in crime went to the Board of Regents for approval and said the plan would mean an increase in student prices.
Athletic Corporation Board voted last week to increase student ticket combos by $6.
second, the student voice on the board was absurdly quiet. The board that voted on the increase has three student representatives, one of them being Grey Montgomery, student body president. All three voted for the increases.
What were they thinking?
They should have voted against the increase based solely on the fact that the department tricked them.
Montgomery said the department's change of mind upset him. But, he said, he didn't think the increase was all that bad.
Understand that tickets for students at the
It's hard for me to believe there aren't other ways: donations, possible state funds and other avenues. I can't believe that a school with the No. 1 basketball team in the country and a football team that wins a few games every year can't raise money. Where does that $2 for a 3-inch hot dog go, anyway?
I know.Allen Field House and Memorial Stadium need work. Once after a football game while I was interviewing June Henley at the stadium, it started to rain on us. We were inside.
It needs to be said that students are not the only ones getting the short end here. Everyone else also is facing increases. And that may be the department's downfall.
I also understand that someone has to pay. I have a feeling that the department can't make $32 million by passing a can around at every alumni dinner. But why is the burden always on the fans?
People no longer can afford to drop $50 or more for two tickets to watch a football team lose. People can afford to spend only so much money on basketball games. The department is pushing the average fan out the door, and someday it is going to lose those fans.
Most people struggle to find the money to attend games now; just wait until they see a sharro increase.
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This increase was so easy that from now on, the department will have no qualms about raising ticket prices every time it needs an elevator or a bathroom. Our student representatives should have drawn the line here and voted against the increase.
University of Kansas are very affordable compared to other Big 12 schools. For that, the department deserves praise. But where is the line going to be drawn? When will the department stop using the students every time they need a dime?
I can do nothing about the increase at this point, and convincing people to boycott the men's basketball team would be like asking Roy Williams to start a walk-on this week end.
Now I just expect the ticket prices to go down when the renovations are complete.
Comments? e-mail Spencer at sports@kansan.com
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