NFL
Bills player charged with assault, Page 4.
NFL
Legal battles heat up in the NFL, Page 3.
SPORTS
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, JANUARY 25,1996
KANSAS BASKETBALI
SECTION B
Camping is worth keeping
One of the greatest — and coldest — parts of attending a men's basketball game at Allen Field House is the phenomenon known as "camping."
For readers who are unfamiliar with the process, students camp out in the north lobby of Allen's Attic to get prime seats at each home game. The better the opponent or television coverage, the longer people camp.
Because of my old age (22) and this
longer an option.
But as a freshman and sophomore, I had my mail forwarded to the field house from November to March. Sixteen of us took turns holding our place in the line and answering roll call.
SPORTS EDITOR
But just yesterday, two Kansan reporters
informed me that the process is crumbling. That is most upsetting.
My sources said that when groups lined up to enter the Kansas-Oklahoma game, members of the first group, which are required to assemble everyone else, stopped doing that somewhere between the third and seventh group. The remaining 50 or so clans were then left in a state of confusion or disarray.
I fear that such incidents may cause campus police, building security or even Bob Frederick, athletic director, to stop this process.
When I began camping out, way back in the early '90s, students were allowed to pitch tents outside the field house and stay overnight. But an incident at Kansas State in which a woman was attacked while sleeping in a tent caused Kansas officials to make camping legal from only 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day.
Since then, camping has been eliminated for Wildcat fans. Judging from the poor crowds K-State basketball has attracted in the past two seasons, I guess it really doesn't matter
What is at stake is the strong and proud tradition Jayhawk fans uphold each season. With many student sections switching to reserved seating, the only other school with such a camping program is Duke.
Now, students camp and assemble without the supervision of any police or security. My only hope is that won't change, but a riot or crush of people waiting to enter the field house could cause injury or even death.
This is no joke. I want to see group No. 1 for the Oklahoma State game on Jan. 31 do it right. Before that group is rewarded for waiting a week or more to get courtside seats, they should make sure all the others are lined up properly.
My trust is with the devoted fans of Kansas basketball to keep this great tradition alive for the remainder of this season and for many more to come.
The alternative could be tragic.
On a lighter note, club and intramural sports are starting up again. Where else can an average Jack or Jill live out their dream of being a star on the court?
Perhaps virtual reality will come up with a substitute someday, but for now, the club and intramural route is it. And we at the Kansan are ready.
So let us know what is going on, and we'll do our best to cover it. As I write this column, an elite group of stringers is being assembled to write about the many activities on campus.
The process is easier if people call us at least one week in advance, so keep that in mind. Information can also be faxed to us at 864-5261.
Associate sports editor Bill Petula almost picked an upset in the Massachusetts-Pittsburgh game, so I'll give it a whirl for Super Bowl XXX.
My pick: Steelers 28, Cowboys 24.
Home sweet home
Matt Flickner/KANSAN
Behind the support of his parents, who have taken residence in Lawrence this basketball season, sophomore forward Reef LaFrentz has become an invaluable asset for the Jayhawks this season.
Ellen and Ron LaFrentz weren't short on reasons to move to Lawrence.
The windchill was -62 degrees Fahrenheit last month in their hometown of Monona, Iowa, they both recently retired from careers in education, their daughter lives in Columbia, Mo., and their son Raef just happens to play for the No. 3 Kansas men's basketball team.
But Raef LaFrentz did have one thing to say about the move.
"He said, 'I really don't care, but you can do my laundry,' " Ellen LaFrentz said, laughing.
Ellen and Ron LaFrentz didn't come to Lawrence just to clean up after their son. They also came to watch the Kansas sophomore forward clean up on the basketball court.
Last season, Ellen LaFrentz saw six Kansas games in person while her husband saw five.
When they didn't hit the road, the LaFrentzes picked up most of Kansas' other games on their satellite dish. But they wanted more.
They got that opportunity after Ron LaFrentz retired last spring as the industrial arts teacher at MFLMar Mac High School in Monona. After looking throughout the summer for a place in Lawrence, they found one in August — the condominium of former Jayhawk Rex Walters.
Even though the move is only temporary, it's just fine with Raef LaFrentz.
The LaFrentzes came to Lawrence on Dec. 15 and will stay at least through the Big Eight Conference tournament in March, Ellen LaFrentz said.
"They're two more familiar faces," he said. "They give me a chance to get away. I get sick of looking at the guys' faces sometimes."
But the family doesn't have time to get sick looking at one another. With Raef LaFrentz's basketball and class schedule, he only visits a couple times a week. Ellen LaFrentz said he wasn't expected to come over and they don't drop in on him.
RaeFlFRentz isn't the only busy one in the family, though.
"They're gone all the time," he said.
Ellen and Ron LaFrentz have taken to museum hopping and the Lawrence Public Library is another discovery the the LaFrentzes have made.
"We just get up in the morning and say, 'What are we going to do today,' Ellen LaFrentz said.
A lot of what they do still revolves around basketball. Ron LaFrentz, 6-feet-5, played at Northern Iowa and eventually became the assistant boys' basketball coach at MFL-Mar Mac. The opportunity for difficulty presented itself when Raef LaFrentz started his high school career.
MFL-Mar Mac boys' basketball coach Eric Dettbarn said nothing like that ever happened.
"Their family has a real close relationship," Dettbarn said. "And Ron knows a lot about the game."
Before becoming a Jayhawk, Raef learned from his father much like he learned from his sister, Ann Kielkopf, who also played basketball at Northern Iowa. Being six years older than her brother, the two didn't battle one-on-one too much. When they did, Kielkopf often won.
Until her sophomore year of college when she came home for Thanksgiving.
"He beat me 10-0," said Kielkopf, who is 6-5. "We haven't played one-on-one since."
Rafel LaFrentz has battled many other opponents since then, though. One of the toughest battles for the high school All-American may have been deciding where to attend college. Ellen LaFrentz said she scheduled interviews with coaches and the media as well as sorting through the stream of mail her son received during his last two years of high school.
"We made sure he saw every side of every program he was seriously considering," Ellen LaFrentz said. "But we couldn't make a decision that important. The decision was Rae's."
Just like then, Ellen and Ron LaFrentz are still supporting their son, and Raef LaFrentz knows that.
"There's a lot of love in our family," he said.
Jayhawk swimmers and divers remain positive
Swimmers confident for weekend meet
By Dan Gelston
Kansas sportswriter
Kansan sportswriter
Although the Kansas swimming and diving team lost its first dual meet of the season last weekend, it is still business as usual at Robinson Natatorium.
The previously unbeaten No. 14 women's team (12-1) lost to No. 7 Georgia 168-124 while the No. 20 Kansas men (10-3) fell to the No. 11 Bulldogs 164-127.
But one loss isn't going to change the game plan of a Kansas program that has become one of the nation's best.
that has gotten us to this point." Kansas swimming coach Gary Kempf said. "The loss is disappointing, but it's forgotten. We have to continue to move forward."
"We're continuing the same plan
The Jayhawks will move forward this Saturday when they face Iowa State in the final Big Eight Conference dual meet of the year. The Cyclones men's swimming team is the defending conference champion, edging Kansas by 10 points last season.
"Their strength is that they have balance everywhere," Kempf said. "They have good people in every event."
However, Kansas defeated the Iowa State men's team last year, 137-106.
While the Kansas swimmers struggled last weekend, the divers put on a strong showing.
The men, led by senior Kris Hoffman, swept the one-meter boards.
Hoffman took first place with a season-best score of 301.35. He also won the three-meter board and set a personal 336.15 point high.
"I was pretty pleased with the men's diving," Kansas diving coach Don Fearon said. "I know our guys are going to have some good competition this weekend. I hope what we did last weekend, and really, how we've been diving all year, will carry over."
The All American won the three-meter last weekend and set personal bests on the one- (303.450) and three- (316.575) meter two weeks ago against Nebraska.
One of the sure things for the Kansas diving team has been senior Michelle Roohn.
"She is one of the stronger divers in the zone," Fearon said. "She is diving better in each of her big meet situations. The chances of her competing in the NCAA's do look favorable."
Only nine divers in the Midwest zone and 35 divers in the United States get a chance to compete in the NCAA Championships.
The meet will also be Kansas' last in Big Eight play. Iowa State, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska are the only conference schools to field teams.
Tvler Wirken / KANSAN
Next season, Texas and Texas After losing to No. 11 Georgia last weekend. The Kansas A&M will join the men's swimming team will be in action Jan. 27 at Iowa Big 12, leaving the State University.
banded Southwest Conference.
"We're going up there with a purpose in mind," Kempf said. "We
want, in this meet, to improve ourselves within the conference. We expect a great meet."
Cowboys' Williams style of play is dangerous, Lloyd says
TEMPE, Ariz. — Greg Lloyd saw what happened to a Green Bay defender and vows he won't let Erik Williams do the same to him.
The Associated Press
Any confrontations between the Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro linebacker and the Dallas Cowboys tackle took on an added dimension Tuesday when Lloyd complained
Williams claimed the injury to Packers tackle John Jurkovic in the NFC title game wasn't the result of dirty tricks.
vigorously about Williams'tactics.
"When you go into the game, you have this mind-set that this is going to happen," Lloyd said, of what he perceived as chop blocks. "You just prepare for it. You don't let it take you out of your ball game.
"Everybody considers Dallas to have one of the best offensive lines in the league — then don't let there be any discrepancy about being the best. Don't have all that extra stuff that shouldn't be in the game."
Of the extra stuff, Lloyd said the worst was what happened to
Jurkovic.
"Erik is a good ballplayer," Lloyd said. "I think that is one of his ways of trying to intimidate guys, get them out of their game. But as I say, as long as the referee doesn't call it, he is going to do it. He is going to get away with it."
Williams took Lloyd's charges in stride at media day Tuesday. He heard it from Packers All-Pro defensive end Reggie White after the championship game, and didn't seem surprised to hear it from Lloyd.
"Greg Lloyd is a physical player,
"Offensive linemen in the past have had the reputation of being passive."
just like myself," said Williams, who returned this season from reconstructive knee surgery after an auto accident. "This is football and it's a rough sport.
"I'm just trying to keep a guy out. During the course of a game, some things happen. Guys go to the facemask and it's unnoticed. It happens so often, that's something little. Half the time, guys go to the facemask and don't even know it. I don't try to do it intentionally.
added Williams, one of the NFL's most attacking blockers. "That's not my reputation. I like to play the game aggressively."
Lloyd wondered if it's aggressiveness or something else.
"I could hurt the quarterback if I want to hurt him," Lloyd said. "If you see a guy who beats a guy and has a clean shot on the quarterback and goes down at his knees, he is there to hurt the quarterback, when you see a guy beats a guy and is back there and goes high on the quarterback, that's playing football.
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