LABORTALKS
BASEBALL'S LABOR DEAL faced near certain rejection by owners last Wednesday, probably wiping up interleague play next season and denying free agency for Alex Fernandez and Moises Alou.
At least eight teams were thought to be against the deal completed Oct. 24 by management negotiator Randy Levine and union head Donald Fehr.
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
With a three-quarters majority needed to ratify the agreement, eight teams could block a deal. Lawyers said as many as 12
SPORTS
sold many 12 teams may vote against the proposed five-year contract.
KANSAS MEN'S BASKETBALL TICKETS
Five hundred general admission tickets remain for two exhibition games scheduled for Nov. 12 and Nov. 18. Kansas will play the Australian Geelong All-Stars at 7
p. m. Nov. 12 at Allen Field House, Kansas 'last exhibition game will be against the Converse All-Stars at 7 p.m. Nov. 18 at the field house, Tickets are $20.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6,1996
TORI AMOS
Blending sexuality and social commentary, musician TORI AMOS entertained a Lied Center crowd of 2,000 — a sell-out — on Sunday night.
"It was amazing; it was incredible; it was orgasmic," said Susan Robison, Lyndon freshman.
Torl Amos
Amos is known for hits such as Me And A Gun, a song about rape. Response to the song prompted her to co-found the Rape and Incest National Hotline."
She received a Visionary Award from the Rape Crisis Center in Washington, D.C., for her efforts.
Review on Page 4B
SECTION B
NCAA approves player's return after suspension
GAINESVILLE, FLA. — The NCAA has cleared the way for the return of tackle Mo Collins. Florida suspended Collins in September for taking $500 from an associate of a sports agent.
A three-week school investigation found that Collins did not sign with an agent or agree to be represented by an agent.
"The NCAA reviewed our 15-to 20-page report and felt that it and the suspension were sufficient," said Jamie McCloskey, associate athletic director for NCAA compliance.
Collins must pay $500 in restitution to a charity. His suspension will end after Florida plays Saturday at Vanderbilt.
"The NCAA was very good in accepting our cooperation and working with us on this," athletic director Jeremy Foley said. "As I have said before, there was a precedent. He has served a stiffer penalty than anybody else in his situation."
Basketball's Hall considers varied group of nominees
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. — Pete Carril, whose Princeton teams were everyone's favorite NCAA tournament underdog, and John Thompson, who transformed Georgetown into one of college basketball's top teams, were nominated yesterday for the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Former Denver Nuggets star Alex English, the NBA's most prolific scorer during the 1980s with 19,682 points, was one of three players considered by the Honors Committee for the first time.
The friends were part of the largest group of nominees — seven coaches, seven players and one contributor ever to go to the Honors Committee for a vote. Special nominating committees for women, old-timers and the international game have yet to announce their proposed picks.
Players nominated again were the late Gus Johnson, a rebounding force for the Bullets during the 1960s; Dennis Johnson, who won three NBA titles, two with Boston and one with Seattle; UCLA and Lakers standout Jamaal Wilkes; and sharpshooting point guard Jo Jo White, who helped lead the Celtics to two titles after starring at Kansas.
Horse sold to Irish firm to cool off, become stud
Also considered for the first time were Sidney Moncrief, a star for Arkansas and the Milwaukee Bucks, and forward Bobby Jones, who played for North Carolina and then with Denver and the Philadelphia 76ers.
VERSAILLES, KY. — Cigar is going Irish.
Allen Paulson, owner of the superstar horse, has sold his 75-percent interest in the horse to Ireland's Coolmore Farms.
The 6-year-old bay will stand at stud at Ashford Stud, Coolmire's American division that borders Paulson's Brookside Farm in Versailles.
Paulson said that the horse would be valued at $25 million in the deal and that he would retain a share in the horse.
"I have a lot of good mares to put him to, and he'll be right next door," Paulson said.
He will stand at stud for $75,000
for 1997.
The deal is contingent upon Cigar passing a veterinary examination. A contract has not yet been signed.
Cigar was retired last week with career earnings of $9.98 million. Paulson turned down a $30 million offer last month.
The reigning Horse of the Year, Cigar won 19 of 33 career starts, including a record-tying 16 straight.
Women win exhibition game
The Associated Press
Team hopes to improve
By Matt Woodruff
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas women's basketball team defeated Central Texas AAU 103-57 in its first exhibition game of the season last night. But after the game, coach Marian Washington and players were not satisfied with how they played.
"I felt there were moments in the second half where we did play a little better, but I'm certainly not pleased," Washington said. "We've got work to do."
Washington was especially unhappy with the Jayhawks defense.
"Defensively, certainly we can play much better than we did," she said.
Washington also said that the team needed to work on raising its free-throw percentage (73.3) but that she was pleased with its field-goal percentage (54.3).
"We shot the ball pretty well from the field," she said. "I think anything over 50 at this time of year I'm happy with."
Senior guard Tamecka Dixon, a preseason All-American candidate, finished the game with 18 points and 11 assists. She also thought there was room for improvement.
"This is a measuring stick for how far we've really gone," Dixon said. "We've got a lot of work to do. But it was good to face someone
else instead of beating up on ourselves. One thing we didn't do very well is play defense, so that's something we'll work on in our practices."
The leading scorer for the Jayhawks was senior guard Angie Halbleb, who finished with 24 points, including four three-point shots.
"On a scale of one to 10, I'd give us a four," Hallebib said. "The score is a little deceiving. We didn't play that well, but that's to be expected this time of the season. It was a little bit tough to keep the intensity up. But it's a job, and we have to take care of business."
Washington said that part of the problem may have been playing so early in the year.
"We didn't have a choice," she said. "And we wanted to get a couple of games in two weeks prior to the WNIT."
The team also will have the added pressure of knowing that after last year's success, which included a trip to round 16 in the NCAA Tournament, teams will be playing against them harder than ever.
Dixon said she thought the amount of experience on the team would help counter the added pressure.
"We have five seniors on the team, and we've each taken on a leadership role," she said.
"the seniors are ready, we know what it's gonna take," Halbleib said. "We just have to go and put it all together."
Halbleib said the team would have to provide leadership on the court as well.
Kansas sophomore guard Suzi Raymant reaches up for a rebound against Central Texas AAU center Charlie Smith. The Jayhawks beat Texas 103-57 last night at Allen Field House.
Geoff Krieger/
KANSAN
They will play their final e Jibition game against the Russian National Team on Nov. 11. They begin their regular season against Southern Methodist on Nov. 15.
Less time to kill for former hitter
By Adam Herschman Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas sophomore volleyball player often celebrated from her outside hitter position last season after making a kill — any time an attack attempt is unreturnable or when the attack attempt leads directly to a blocking error by the opponent.
Laura Rohde has been killing opponents softly this season.
Rohde, however, has changed from the outside hitter position to setter this year and has been setting up her teammates with passes instead of being on the opposite end, spiking the volleyball.
"I feel like my job is a lot bigger then last year," Rohde said. "It's like a quarterback — you coordinate the plays."
The setter's job is to run the offense, select the plays and determine whom to set up for a hit.
Even though Rohde was fourth on the team last season with 166 kills, she was moved from outside hitter because the team had only one setter, junior Tiffany Sennett.
Kansas volleyball coach Karen Schonewise said Rohde was valuable in the position.
Kansas sophomore setter, Laura Rohde blocks a spike during the Jayhawks' match with Baylor. Kansas played Baylor Friday night in Allen Field House. The Jayhawks lost to Baylor after falling behind in the fourth game with the score of 7-11.
"She brings much more athletic ability to the setter position, which allows her to get to some more of the bad passes that we have," Schonewise said. "Both our setters are a little bit different. Laura has a little bit higher level of intensity, but Tiffany has a very calming effect on the team."
"I got in and set one match last year. It was against Iowa State. I was shaking. I was nervous because I had no experience. I'd been setting probably for a wee
Kansas started to train Rohde for the setter position toward the end of last season.
See ROHDE.Page 3B
Soccer season closes
Big 12 games brought firsts
By Brian A. Petrotta Kansan sportswriter
Although it was the second season of Kansas women's soccer, in many respects it was like another inaugural season.
It was the first campaign for the Big 12 Conference. The Big Eight Conference did not even function as a conference for soccer programs last season. Six of the 11 starters on the field were freshmen, and one of the returners, sophomore Erin Hon, was
All of these changes left the team searching for an identity, and learning what it means to play in a conference.
moved from goalkeeper to midfielder.
That knowledge did not come until the Oct. 11 game against Missouri. Both teams entered the game with identical conference records and legitimate shots at qualifying for the Big 12 Tournament. Missouri's 3-0 win put them in the lead in the race for the sixth and final slot in the tournament. Kansas never was able to regain the lost ground.
"We decided that we could play too late in the season,"
"Now they understand the urgency of every Big 12 game and that we've got to get ours up and be ready to play every single game," Walker said.
Kansas soccer coach Lori Walker said. "We needed that win against Missouri to get into the tournament, and I don't think we understood the importance of that game."
The focus for Walker now turns to recruiting, and the most apparent need is a natural scorer.
After that contest, however,
Kansas was 3-2-1, its best six-
game stretch of the season.
"We need to find some peo-
See SOCCER, Page 3B
Special teams players ranking high nationally
By Dan Gelston
Kansan sportswriter
As in Jayhawk senior punt returner Isaac Byrd and junior kickoff man Eric Vann.
When it comes to Kansas' special teams, Byrd is the word and Vann is the man.
Both players have developed into two of the premier special teams returners, not just in the Big 12 Conference but in the nation.
Vann leads the conference and is 18th nationally in kickoff returns. He has 13 returns for 328 yards, a 25.23 average.
Byrd, meanwhile, is two punt returns short of qualifying for conference and national leader. He has seven punt returns for 179 yards, a 25.6 average. In comparison, the conference's leading returner, Nebraska sophomore Shevin Wiggins, is averaging only 13.46 yards a return.
Byrd said he didn't worry about placing among the leaders nationally.
"I try not to look at statistics until the end of
Byrd said coaches placed a big emphasis on practicing special teams.
"We work on it every day," he said. "That's one of the reasons why we're so successful — we work on it so much."
第
Byrd said it was rewarding to see that work pay off in the games.
"We have the type of personnel that we can turn the tide of the game in just one play," he said.
Byrd is the only Jayhawk to return a punt this year. Six other players have returned kickoffs. Kansas has returned 24 kicks for a 20.1 average.
Both players agreed that good position was the most pivotal part of their role.
"It helps you so much more if you can get to the 40-yard line instead of the 18," Vann said. "Even if we got stopped on a drive, we can still
See FOOTBALL. Page 3B
.