Colorado and Missouri both win in tight Big Eight Conference action last night. Complete box scores on Page 2.
SPORTS
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UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1996
SECTION B
Loyalty, business don't mix
MEN'S BASKETBALL
On a blustery cold November morning, I remember my father picking me up outside of Sunday School. As I sat in the car, I was bundled up with long underwear, two pairs of socks, warm gloves, a jacket and three sweatshirts ... but something was still missing.
So dad whipped the car around, and we headed home to get my Philadelphia Eagles hat. Going to an Eagles-Browns game wouldn't seem complete without some kind of team
cially when your seats are in a Browns section that, as I had seen on TV, was called "The Dawg Pound."
Boy, was that a mistake.
ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR
Wearing
an opposing team's
apparel to "The
Dawg Pound" is
like wearing a
steak suit into
the lion's den. Need-
less to sav. I was
snovered with milkbones from the opening kickoff to the waning seconds of the game. During the second quarter, when the Eagles scored, I stood up to cheer and was promptly smacked square in the head with a doggy biscuit. Talk about nasty — I was only 12 years old at the time.
On the field, the Eagles got bombarded. The Browns gave Randall Cunningham a chilling precursor of days to come as he spent most of his afternoon on the run.
But it wasn't the game or the "The Dawg Pound," but the other 80,000 fans dressed in brown and orange, cheering every down as if it were third and three with the score tied, late in the game.
Tomorrow the owners will vote to make the Brown's move to Baltimore official. Four owners are expected to vote against the Brown's move, only half of the eight needed. And as tomorrow's doomday nears, my heart goes out to the fans who spent their lifetimes cheering at the "Mistake by the Lake."
These are the victims of Art Model's traveling Browns squad. Unfortunately, loyalty and sports too often do not go hand in hand.
What kills me is Model's tear-jerkling tale on a Baltimore (of course) radio station about how he was losing money in Cleveland and how mean old Mr. Mayor wouldn't build a new stadium. My compassion for multimillionaire Art goes only paper cut deep. The day I sympathize with fat cat owners of the sporting world, who exploit a city for decades and leave town once the well runs dry, is the same day that Mark Fuhrman and Louis Farrakhan stage a "Give Peace A Chance" rally.
Fact is, the Cleveland Browns have more fan clubs, called Brown's Backers, than any other professional sports team in the world. If professional sports are businesses, the business move Model made is the equivalent to laying off more than a million employees, who have spent a lifetime with the company, because of a slow year.
Although in the Midwest, coverage of the Browns' move may not even land near the want ads, the long-range ramifications of the Browns' move to Baltimore could hit close to home. The move serves as a precedent to pro sports owners around the nation — down on money, situation looking bleak, there's a Baltimore or Nashville right around the corner. Let's face it, as much support as they have, Kansas City is a small market. How do the Sacramento Chiefs sound?
Note: Some information was contributed by Sam Amendola, member of Browns Backers.
As my woozy body filed out of Cleveland's Municipal Stadium that day, I came to one conclusion. Quite simply, the Cleveland Browns — although at times their actions may be a bit twisted — have the most diehard fans in football and maybe in all of American sports. It's inconceivable for me to think that there are more dedicated, loyal or better milkbone-throwing fans in America. Fans who, come Friday, may not have a team to cheer.
'Hawks knock Cyclones back to earth
Pollard's points surprise himself and Iowa State
By Jenni Carlson
Kansan sportswriter
After scoring six first-half points, Scot Pollard surprised Iowa State in the second half.
The junior center hit all five of his field goal attempts as the No. 3 Kansas men's basketball team defeated Iowa State 89-70 last night in Allen Field House. But Pollard didn't only shock the Cyclones with his 20-point performance.
"Wow," Pollard exclaimed. "That's a lot of points."
Pollard had some other impressive numbers beside his season-high point total. He grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds and had four blocked shots, which died sophomore forward Raef LaFrentz.
The Jayhawks combined to block 14 shots, breaking the Kansas record. They had 13 blocks against Montana in 1976.
"Without Greg Ostertag, you don't think of this team as being able to block a lot of shots," Kansas coach Roy Williams said. "We were good tonight; I don't care how you slice it or chon it up."
However, the second-place Cyclones played the Jayhawks close throughout the first half. Kansas held its biggest lead 31-24, after freshman forward Paul Pierce hit a three-point shot.
The victory pushes Kansas' record to 19-1 overall and 7-0 in the Big Eight Conference. With No. 21 Iowa State falling to 5-2 in the conference and 16-5 overall, the Jayhawks have a two-game lead in the Big Eight.
Iowa State pulled to within four, 40-36, after junior center Kelvin Cato had a follow
"Coach talks about respecting everyone and fearing no one," Pollard said. "I kind of got that switched around in the first half."
Cato had 12 points in the first 20 minutes but none in the last 20 minutes. He was Pollard's defensive responsibility for most of the game.
One Jayhawk that wasn't confused in the slightest during the first half was LaFrentz. He had 13 points, hitting four of five from the floor and converting all four of his free throw attempts.
"He went on a scoring rampage," Pollard said. "I said, 'Raef, you are going to start sharing?' I didn't mean it literally. But maybe I'll start saving it a little sooner."
With Pollard scoring the first two baskets in the second half, Kansas opened with an 11-4 run. The Jayhawks scored 10 consecutive points later in the half, starting with sophomore forward Billy Thomas's three-pointer. Kansas led by 19 points, 67-48, before Iowa State scored again.
"We just keep pushing it," Thomas said. "Hopefully, teams won't have enough to compete with us at the end."
Thomas said the Jayhawks prided themselves in having enough depth to wear other teams down and then make big runs.
The Cyclones didn't. They cut the Jayhawks' 19-point lead to 11, 73-62, after junior forward Kenny. Pratt hit two free throws. But Kansas extended the lead back to 17 points after field goals from LaFrentz and Pierce and a pair of free throws from junior forward B.J. Williams.
"They have great depth, and the players that come off the bench are just as strong a force," Iowa State coach Tim Floyd said. "That is definitely one of their strengths, but I couldn't tell you what a weakness would be."
Richard Devinki/KANGAN
Kansas freshman guard Ryan Robertson attempts a layup as Iowa State junior forward Kenny Pratt blocks. The Jayhawks won last night 89-70 at Allen Field House.
Richard Devinki / KANSAN
Kansas players enjoy 7-0 start, but wary of overlooking foes
Freshman forward Paul Pierce gets a step on Iowa State junior guard Jacy Holloway.
By Spencer Duncan Kansan sportswriter
One half of a dream is complete for the No. 3 Kansas men's basketball team. The question now is how the dream will end.
That dream is an defeated Big Eight Conference regular season.
"I was hoping for it," junior guard Jacque Vaughn said. "It feels good for the first half of the season to be undefeated. The challenge for us in the second half."
The goal for the team now is to win seven more and make that mark 14-0. While that may sound amazing, the players are trying to take things in
With an 89-70 victory against the Iowa State Cyclones last night, the Jayhawks moved to 7-0 in the Big Eight Conference for the first time since 1974.
stride.
"It's in the back of our heads," sophomore forward Raef LaFrentz said. "But we try not to think about it. We are not overlooking Missouri."
The Jayhawks have played Oklahoma State twice and Missouri remains the only conference foe that Kansas has not played. If Kansas pulls out a victory when the two teams meet on Saturday, then the Jayhawks will have beaten everyone in the conference at least once.
However, Kansas must beat everyone twice to reach their goal, and the players are aware of that fact.
"It won't be over if we beat Missouri," junior forward Scot Pollard said. "Just one win won't do it for us. We have to go in and check it off and then go in and check it off again and go from there."
Since the Big Eight's beginning in
1959, only three teams have gone undefeated in the conference — Kansas State in 1959, Kansas in 1971 and Missouri in 1994. Kansas could become the only team to accomplish the feat twice in Big Eight history and according to the competition, the odds are good on Kansas fulfilling one of its dreams.
"I think it is very possible that they could go 14-0," Iowa Sate head coach Tim Floyd said. "They appear to have it all."
Although how the dream will end remains to be played out, players are doing their best to make sure it has a happy ending.
"Our goal is to win every game no matter what," freshman forward Paul Pierce said. "We don't think about losing. Whatever happens, happens."
Indecisive recruit chooses Jayhawk football
By Evan Blackwell
Kansas sportwriter
Kansan sportswriter
It was decision day for Jason Sykes, and this time he didn't change his mind.
Sykes, a senior defensive back from Washington High School in Kansas City, Kan., was among the 24 football players, who sent letters of intent to Kansas. Kansas signed 13 defensive players and 11 offensive players yesterday, the first official day of the spring signing period.
Sykes had committed to Kansas State verbally, but reconsidered his decision after visiting Lawrence a few weeks ago.
Sykes said his mother had screened the call from K-State on Tuesday night.
Sykes said that at Kansas he was treated more like a person than just an athlete, which was not the case at K-State.
Sykes' teammate from Washington, linebacker Darriss Lomax, also signed with the Jayhawks. The highly-touted Lomax chose Kansas instead of K-State, Michigan, Iowa State and Notre Dame, among others. Lomax was a member of The Kansas City Star All-Metro team.
Running back Arland Bruce and offensive lineman Bob Schmidt from Olathe North High
School in Olathe also signed with Kansas.
Schmidt's older brother Dan, was a former starter at center for the Javahawks.
Olainte North football coach Gene Wier said the improved football programs at Kansas and K-State had changed the dynamics of recruiting for Kansas high school players.
"We always look in-state first," said Kansas football coach Glen Mason. "I'm happy to see most of the top Kansas players staying in- state."
"Five or six years ago going to KU or K-State was kind of ho-hum," Wier said.
"Sometimes it's hard for these kids to get recruited in-state."
Mason said a priority this recruiting period had been to find large offensive and defensive linemen. The Jayhawks signed four interior lineman on both offense and defense.
Tyler Wirken / KAMBAN
Jason Sykes, at center, and Dariss Lomax, at right, will be playing football at Kansas next fall. Sykes and Lomax were accompanied by their families at Washington High School yesterday.
"We needed to recruit some size, and I feel we did that." Mason said.
They did indeed. The largest Jayhawk recruit, offensive lineman Ishmeal Knight from Tampa, Fla. weighs 330 pounds and is 6-foot-4.
"He doesn't look like a 17- or 18-year-old kid coming out of high school," Mason said. "He's a big man."
Mason said he was satisfied.
"We met our needs. I think we have a very
good class from top to bottom."
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