7.
HARTWIG COMMITS
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN SPORTS
was recruited by Northern Iowa, but he followed Northern Iowa coach Terry Allen and his staff to Kansas when Allen accepted the coaching vacancy in December. Hartwig was a second-team all-state pick in Iowa last fall.
JUSTIN HARTWIG, an offensive lineman from West Des Moines Valley High School, has made an oral commitment to play at Kansas. Hartwig
MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 1997
SUPER BOWL XXXI is set. In two weeks. The New England Patriots and the Green Bay Packers will battle for the title of Super Bowl cham-
SUPERBOWL XXXI SET
nion in New Orleans. The Packers were crowned the NFC champions yesterday after beating the Carolina Panthers 30-13 in Green Bay. The Patriots were named AFC champions after downing the Jacksonville Jaguars 20-6.
SECTION B
Ross to succeed Fontes as Detroit Lions coach
PONTIAC, MICH. — Bobby Ross is to succeed Wayne Fontes today as coach of the Detroit Lions.
Sources told The Associated Press that Ross will sign a 5-year contract worth $7.5 million. The deal, with Ross apparently getting total control of personnel moves, is to be announced during a news conference at the Silverdome.
Ross, 60, who resigned as coach of the San Diego Chargers on Jan. 3 after an 8-8 season, also interviewed for openings with the St. Louis Rams and Atlanta Falcons.
"All the teams that we had spoken to have been notified by Coach Ross of his decision," said Jack Reale, Ross' lawyer.
Ross inherits a team that finished 5-11 this season, leading to Fontes' dismissal Dec. 26.
Ross, who was unavailable for comment yesterday, is expected to have the final say in all personnel moves involving trades, free agency and the NFL draft. Detroit has the fifth pick in the draft.
Ross spent five seasons as coach of the Chargers. He left with a year remaining on his contract because of a difference in philosophy with general manager Bobby Beathard. Beathard wanted Ross to fire some of his assistant coaches, and Ross refused.
CARLBAS,CALIF...Tiger Woods defeated Tom Lehman yesterday and won the 1997 Mercedes Championship.
Woods hits million mark with victory over Lehman
The $216,000 first prize gave Woods $1,006,594 in career wins, the fastest anyone has gotten to the $1 million mark.
Woods has finished in the top five in six of his nine tournaments as a professional.
Lehman and Woods had finished 54 holes at 14-under-par, five strokes ahead of Guy Boros and six better than Paul Goydos and Fred Couples.
persistent rain made the course unplayable, and tournament officials decided to make it a 54-hole event. Woods and Lehm played No. 7 because it was the only hole that was playable. They would have continued playing No. 7 over and over until a winner was determined.
Lehman hit first and immediately took the pressure off Woods by hitting his 6-iron into the water. All Woods needed to do was hit the ball onto the green and two-putt.
Woods opened with a 70, followed it with a 67 and then shot a 65 on Saturday when he closed with four consecutive birdies to tie Lehman and get in the playoff.
Both players were disappointed that yesterday's showdown was washed out.
Cyclones seek repeat victory
Their last win over Kansas was long ago
—The Associated Press
By Bill Petulla
Kansan sports writer
The year was 1982. A skinny North Carolina guard named Michael Jordan led the Tarheels to a National Championship. A center by the name of Kareem Abdul-Jabar guided the Los Angeles Lakers to the NBA title. And the Iowa State men's basketball team defeated Kansas at Allen Field House.
Since then, Jordan and Johnson have gone on to two of perhaps the most storied careers in basketball history.
The Cyclones, however, have not repeated what they accomplished in 1982 — defeating the Jayhawks at the field house.
And don't think that Iowa State has forgotten.
"I think the important thing is to get a couple of good workouts in," said Iowa State men's basketball
The No. 4 Cyclones wasted no time in preparing for their showdown against No.1 Kansas tonight at 8:35 in Allen Field House, which will be televised on ESPN.
After its 82-56 victory over Oklahoma Saturday in Ames, Iowa, the Cyclones practiced twice yesterday, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Both practices ran 90 minutes.
coach Tim Floyd. "I'm not sure if two will be enough. I'm not sure 30 would be enough."
The top-ranked and unbeaten Jayhawks, fresh off an 87-68 win at Baylor on Saturday, look to remain in top form as they take on only their second ranked opponent in 11 games.
"We're undefeated, so we are definitely pleased with how we are playing," junior forward Raef LaFrentz said. "We have had some moments on the offensive end where we haven't played as well as we could, but I think every team has moments that they would like to forget."
Despite carrying a perfect 16-0 mark (3-0 in the Big 12 Conference), the Jayhawks admit their play has not been perfect.
The Cyclones (11-1 overall, 2-0 in the Big 12) also are riding high after an impressive 82-55 Big 12 win against Oklahoma Saturday in Ames, Iowa. Senior guard forward Dedric Willoughby scored 21 points, and senior center Kelvin Cato powered his way to 15 points.
and 15 rebounds.
"I am really proud of our basketball team," Floyd said after the Oklahoma game. "They had the best defensive effort of all season. By far it was the best performance of the year."
Although the team's on-court performance seems to be in sync, off-the-court activities couldn't be more muddled.
Floyd began the season by suspending Cato for three games for skipping class and workouts. Willoughby and senior forward Shawn Bankhead were suspended for one game each for missing summer classes.
Senior guard/forward Kenny Pratt, who was academically ineligible for the first semester, has had problems this season with off-court activities, such as sexual abuse charges and disorderly conduct. Pratt will start tonight.
Kansas guard Jerod Haase collides with Kansas State's Josh Reid during the Jayhawks' Jan. 4 game against the Wildcats in Manhattan. No. 1 Kansas will take on No. 4, Iowa State at 8:35 tonight in Allen Field House.
Iowa State won the last meeting between the two squads 56-55 at the final Big Eight Conference tournament on March 10, 1996, in Kansas
City, Mo. But according to LaFrentz, keeping this game in perspective will be a key for the Jayhawks.
"We have tough games in front of
us, and we have to stay focused on each game," LaFrentz said.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
New coach rebuilds team
Allen focuses on recruiting,staff
By Tommy Gallagher Kansan sportswriter
Steve Puppe / KAN$AN
Kansas men's basketball coach Roy Williams introduces Terry Allen, Allen is replacing Giles Mason as Kansas head football coach.
After being named Kansas' head football coach on Dec. 28, Terry Allen has been working hard to assemble a new coaching staff and to recruit players regionally and nationally.
Earlier this month Allen hired five assistants from Northern Iowa, the school where he coached for eight years. The coaches are Mark Farley, Michael Garrison, Dick Moseley, Darl Wellgard and Del Wight.
With just 23 days left until high school players can sign a national letter of intent, Allen has been busy trying to persuade potential recruits to make a commitment to Kansas. The Jayhawks have received only four oral commitments from players thus far, but Allen maintains optimistic.
"We're behind as far as recruiting goes, but that is something we can overcome," Allen said. "Some people recruit from the bottom and work their way up the list of recruits. I prefer to start from the top and work my way down the list."
Although no one from the football program can confirm or deny recruiting interests until the Feb. 5 signing date, some recruiting publications have speculated that the Jayhawks are seeking new quarterbacks and running backs.
One of the players that has already made an oral commitment to Kansas is Joey Garcia, a place kicker from Olathe North High School. Garcia set Kansas records this past year with most field goals in a single season and most field goals for a career.
Although Garcia was surprised when former head coach Glen Mason left, he said that it had no impact on whether he would come to Kansas.
Andy Rohrback/KANSAN
that's where I want to go," Garcia said of Kansas. "From what I know, my scholarship offer still stands. They know they're going to need a place kicker next year and they have one in me."
What the Jayhawks have in Allen remains an enigma because he has never coached NCAA Division I-A football, although returns from his coaching days at Northern Iowa appear promising.
Allen, 39, compiled a 75-26 record in eight seasons at Northern Iowa and was the most-winning active
"We are behind as far as recruiting goes, but that is something we
can overcome."
Terry Allen
Kansas'head football coach
coach in Division IAA football. Last year the Panthers won 12-2 as Northern Iowa won its seventh consecutive Gateway Conference title.
In his years at Northern Iowa, Allen was 3-3 against Big 12 Conference opponents, including 2-2 against Iowa State, 0-1 against Oklahoma State and 1-0 against Kansas State. The Panthers' 10-8 win against the Wildcats came in Bill Snyder's first year in Manhattan.
"We don't need to say things," Allen said. "We just need to get things done. What's happened has happened. I'm here to do things the right way, both on the field and in the classroom."
Allen's contract contains bonuses for increased graduation rates and improved grade point averages.
This space contains no nostalgia,pleas or vows of change
This being the first sports column of the year, I debated which titillating, eye-grabbing, mind-boggling way I should use this space.
I could do what my predecessors
insist on doing and waste your time describing the new and exciting changes that will be coming to the sports page.
ASSOCIATE
ASSOCIATE
SPORTS
EDITOR
But do you really care? No.
I could describe, in heart-wrenching detail, the events that transpired in
my childhood that led me to become a sports lover and eventually a sports writer.
But do you really, really care?
Not unless you are my mother.
Then of course I could spend the passing moments trying to convince you that we want your input this semester.
I could beg for your reaction to our stories and columns and tell you that we do want to hear from you.
But do you really, really, really care? Maybe, but judging from the feedback received the last few semesters. I doubt it.
(For those of you still paying attention, our e-mail address will be out soon, and letters to the sports desk can be sent to 111 Stauffer Flint-Hall. We will publish feedback.)
My job in this column will be to fascinate, illuminate, pontificate, and exacerbate.
Seeing that these avenues all have been exhausted, why not just get right down to it?
Sometimes I will write things just for the sake of putting them down on paper, and other times these words perhaps will be offensive. Not on purpose, mind you,
but because they will be true
Above all, this column is here to tell you what I believe. Take my word for it: I believe a lot.
For instance, I believe...
Anyone who thinks that the Kansas men's basketball team will go undefended has been watching too much of The Roy Williams Show. Losses happen, and a few of them will strike the Jayhawks soon.
The Athletic Department's decision to exclude games that occurred during break from students' sports ticket packages is just another example of how students are becoming a secondary priority at the University of Kansas. Money is the first.
■ New football coach Terry Allen will have a good career at Kansas. Just remember, coach, next season may be painful, so be patient. Fans need to take the same advice.
Much to my chagrin, Green Bay will win the Super Bowl. Easily
If approved by the Board of Regents, the university's proposed $32 million renovations to Allen Field House and Memorial Stadium would be good for the school, but bad for the fans. A $6 ticket surge will push a large number of fans who can barely afford tickets now out of the loop.
There is nothing wrong with an athlete leaving school early. Anyone who says they shouldn't is a hypocrite. If you were offered $1 million or more a year to play a game, wouldn't you consider putting your education off for a while?
■ FOX Sports News is boring, and ESPN seems to have lost something. Does CNNSI have a swimsuit edition?
These are just many of the things I believe. During the course of the semester, as I take full advantage of my 15 inches of fame, I hope I can get you to believe the things I do.
But if I can't, that's all right. I'll just tell you the tear jerker about how I got into sports writing.