FIESTA BOWL No.1 Nebraska and No.2 Florida will be ready to go when game time arrives. Page 6
SPORTS ERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1995
Give new opinions a chance
It was the usual Sunday. I awoke from a full night's sleep and rolled over to see what time it was. The alarm clock read 11:55 a.m. I rolled out of bed and slid my glasses on hurriedly. The usual Sunday afternoon ritual of NFL football and a barbecue shuttle was about to start, and I almost had slept through it.
Richard Devinki / KANSAN
I wandered downstairs to find my two roommates and another friend involved in a bitter dispute about what to watch. It wasn't the normal
SECTION B
argument about whether to watch the Broncos or the Bears, but something completely different.
SPORTS COLUMNIST
"Tum it back to figure skating." one roommate said.
"We were watching the women's soccer game, gimme the remote," my other roommate said
Kansas junior forward Steve Ransom, a walkon from Mission Viejo, Calif., spent most of last season as a long-hailed fan that painted his hair and body to show support for the Jayhawks.
"Turn it back to the soccer game," said the second roommate, in almost a violent tone.
"See, Kerrigan has already skated. This next one isn't any good," my friend said.
The first roommate threw the remote at the other and stormed off into the kitchen.
The other two kicked back and started watching the women's soccer game. It was the championship game for NCAA Division I women's soccer. Notre Dame (20-2-2) against undefeated Portland (20-0-2).
I was in awe at what I had just witnessed. Three dighard football fans forging their usual Sunday afternoon vigil and watching women's soccer and professional figure skating. The normal conversation of how the '85 Bears would have done against the '95 Dallas Cowboys team had been replaced with who had the better women's soccer program, North Carolina, Duke or Notre Dame. Something had changed in my living room.
I didn't even ask why we were watching this game. It just would have caused trouble.
Undaunted, I ventured into the kitchen, grabbed a Coke and headed for the couch.
I watched the game, hoping maybe to understand the attraction for the others. After listening to them decide who was the best-looking player, I thought I had figured out why they were watching.
After about 70 minutes of the game and a few looks back at figure skating, something very strange happened. I was yelling and screaming at the television along with my friends. It was all so exciting. I caught myself screaming, "Go for the cross pass," and "Bicycle kick, bicycle kick!"
I was wrong. I realized they were actually watching the game. They were both as into it as any football game, yelling and screaming at the refs, cheering and jeering at the players. They really were into it.
I even yelled "Holding" at one point, then realized I was waiting for a flag and a 15-yard penalty on Portland. I guess old habits die hard.
reardless, I enjoyed the game very much. The game went into overtime, and Notre Dame won on fluke goal off a direct kick, 1-0. The game had all the tragedy and triumph of my usual sports, and even a little controversy over the winning goal, as well. It made me think that I should give some things like women's soccer, basketball and baseball a chance. We all should.
If just one soccer game can change my view of women's soccer, then one of my columns may just change your point of view on an issue. That is what this whole column thing had been about for me. If a reader can put down the paper and walk away with a new point of view, regardless if it matches their own, then I have done my job.
The game had other meaning for me. It was a defining moment for me as a columnist. It made me realize that there are many other points of view besides my own, which is rather apparent by the amount of letters that come to the paper in response to my columns.
Ransom's dream comes true
California native trades in body paint for a jersey
By Matt Irwin
Kansan sportswriter
Steve Ransom knew where he wanted to be.
During spring break of 1994, Ransom and his best friend, Tom Airey, decided to search for a school to attend. Instead of heading for a vacation spot, the native Californians headed for Kansas.
Ransom and Airey had played two seasons of basketball for Irvine Valley Junior College near their homes in Mission Viejo, Calif. They were looking for a school to attend for reasons other than basketball.
It didn't quite work out that way, though.
Ransom and Airy were checking out the Kansas campus when they saw groups of students heading for Allen Field House. The Kansas men's basketball team had just defeated Wake Forest in the 1994 NCAA Tournament and was returning to Lawrence before it went to the Southeast. Regional finals in Knoxville, Tenn. So Ransom and Airy followed the students and watched as the group welcomed the Jayhawks home.
"It was a really neat experience to see how all the people got all hyped up just greeting them as they came back," Ransom said. "The basketball tradition played a big part in my decision to come here. Out in California, colleges don't have the spirit and tradition like it is out here. I kind of wanted to go to a school that had that type of tradition and spirit."
Ransom and Airie transferred to Kansas last year. This year Ransom became part of the team's tradition. Ransom, a 6-foot-5, 210-pound junior, was the only walk-on to survive the Kansas men's basketball team trouts.
In the first week of practice this season, Ransom and about 40 other hopefuls displayed their skills for coaches.
After the last day of tryouts, Ransom saw his was,the only name posted.
"It just stunned me," Ransom said. "I had to double-check it to make sure that was my name. I kind of just walked away in a daze."
Most people would be in a daze if they knew how far Ransom had come.
Assistant coach Brian Mulligan from Ransom's high school went to coach at nearby Irvine Valley Junior College and offered Ransom a spot on his basketball team. Ransom said he didn't consider other schools after the offer.
Ransom did not receive any offers from Division-I basketball programs following high school or junior college.
Ransom was joined by Airey his second season at Irvine Valley. Airey played a season for Loyola-Marymount but left after a coaching change.
Following two seasons at Irvine Valley, he and Airy received offers to play for Division-II and NAIA basketball programs, Ransom said. Ransom chose to look at other schools for more than basketball because he thought his ankle injury might scare teams away.
"I decided to get surgery on it," Ransom said. "I knew that as soon as I had surgery, other schools were going to back off because I was an unsure thing." Ransom had two screws put in his ankle to realign it.
Ransom and Airey liked the atmosphere at Kansas. And after their spring break visit, they were sold on the school.
"People out here were so nice," said Airyre, Mission Viejo. Calif. senior.
Both got into the basketball atmosphere, as well. Ransom and Airey went crazy showing their support for the team.
Alirey said that Ransom painted his hair crimson and blue and both were part of a group that painted their chests with letters, spelling out BEWARE OF THE PHQG at a Kansas home game against Florida last season. Ransom said they even saw themselves on SportsCenter.
Now Ransom appears on national television with the Kansas basketball team all the time.
"If you had to pick anybody to do it, he's a completely genuine guy," Airey said of Ransom making the team.
Ramson may have been someone who fans rallied behind, but he wasn't someone people would have expected to make the Kansas basketball team.
"I may not have been the best player," Ransom said of others trying out. "I may not even be Division-I talent, but I think I have a Division-I work ethic."
Ransom started training to walk on during the 1995 spring semester. He said he needed structure in his life and missed
See RANSOM, Page 3.
Jayhawks nest atop both polls
By Matt Irwin Kansan sportswriter
Toward the end of the biggest second-half comeback in Kansas men's basketball history, a chant rose through the Phog — "We're No.1. We're No.1."
"I'd just as soon they cheer that as, 'We want T.J.'" Kansas men's basketball coach Roy Williams said. "It really doesn't make a difference."
After then-No.1
Kentucky lost last week to then-No.
5 Massachusetts in the Great Eight and then-No.2
Kansas completed a week of victories against ranked opponents by defeating defending national champion UCLA 85-70, everyone in Allen Field House knew it was going to happen.
Yesterday, it became official. Kansas was ranked No. 1 by both the Associated Press and the USA Today/CNN Coaches Poll. Kentucky fell to No. 5 in both polls. Massachusetts is ranked No. 3 in both polls.
Kansas sophomore forward Raef LaFrentz said the rankings didn't mean much at this point in the season.
AP Men's Top 25
rank team rec pta. gr
1. Kaneas (5) 3-0 1,613 2
2. Villanova (4) 5-0 1,519 3
3. U Mass (4) 3-0 1,476 5
4. Arizona (2) 3-0 1,388 4
5. Kentucky 2-1 1,338 1
6. Georgia卜堡 5-1 1,186 6
7. Memphis 3-0 1,156 7
8. Mississippi St. 3-0 1,089 8
9. Connecticut 4-1 1,032 9
10. Wake Forest 3-0 1,028 10
11. Missouri 4-0 983 13
12. Iowa 4-0 927 11
13. North Carolina 5-1 859 17
14. Utah 2-1 709 14
15. Virginia 2-1 619 15
16. Georgia Tech 5-1 585 20
17. Circinnall 1-0 543 21
18. Duke 4-1 488 12
19. Virginia Tech 2-0 461 22
20. Maryland 2-2 382 19
21. Illinois 3-0 342 —
22. Michigan 5-2 262 24
23. Loulaville 3-2 168 18
24. Stanford 3-2 163 16
25. Santa Clara 4-1 132 —
other teams receiving votes: California 122, UCLA 83, Purdue 60, Georgia 58, Washington 85, St. Arkansas 59, Syracuse 50, Auburn 26, Nebraska 19, Boston College 19, Miami, Ohio 15, Tulane 15, Texas 13, Texas Tech 10, New Mexico 9, Tusica 13, Indiana 8, Oldhamoa 8, LSU 7, Marquette 7, Vanderbilt 7, Minnesota 6, Oldsmouth 13, Ala.-Birmingham 2, Fresno St. 2, Miami 2, Envevalne 1, Florida St. 1, Hawaii 1, Kansas St. 1, Pittsburgh 1, SW Milestour St. 1, South Carolina 1.
The Associated Press
KANSAN
"It really doesn't have a lot of weight," LaFrentz said.
It really does not have a lot of weight. Lauren said Kansas was ranked No. 1 for one week in each of the past two seasons and for two weeks during the 1992-93 season.
Kansas also held the No.1 spot for four weeks during the 1989-90 season, the only other time Williams' team has been ranked No.1.
Last season Kansas lost to Oklahoma 76-73 in Norman, Okla., on the night they moved to the No.1 position.
Soaring costs keeping most fans grounded
By Spencer Duncan
Kansan sportswriter
Those looking for a way to Hawaii, take note. It might be easier to go to a 6 a.m. Saturday class than it is to go to the Aloha Bowl.
While this may be a slight overstatement, it is clear that getting to Hawaii during the Christmas season is hard to do. Unless you have thousands of dollars to blow or are very lucky you might as well
prepare the couch for Christmas
day.
the fans," said Bill Woodard, assistant editor of the Kansas Alumni Association's magazine.
"this is a great bowl for the athletes to go to, but the real losers are
Fans and students face several problems while trying to travel to the Alba Boul
The first problem is availability. The Christmas holiday is the busiest time of year for flights to Hawaii. Flights from Kansas City International Airport normally are hard to get in late December, and with Kansas going to the Aloha
Bowl, finding flights has gotten even harder.
"If there are two or three of you going, we can probably find some way to get you there," said Susan
Shaw, a travel agent at Holiday Travel Incorporated, 2112 W. 25th St. "If there are 10 or 15 people, it is out of the question. Either way, it is going to be really expensive."
Cost becomes the second problem.
If a seat to Hawaii is found, people can expect to pay high prices.
Reserving a ticket to Hawaii 21 days in advance would have cost about $1,100. If the ticket was not reserved 21 days in advance, the cost could be as high as $1,500.
"Christmas is always busy, and the airlines know they can charge high prices at this time of the year," said Vicki Commons of Adventure Travel. 544 Columbia Drive.
The plane ride is only a small part of the cost. Hotels can cost anywhere from $150 to $300 a night, and guests still have to pay for food, transportation and souvenirs.
The cheapest part of the whole trip is the ticket to the game, at $28.
Travel packages were put together by several groups to help people with costs, but those, too, have filled up or had problems.
The Kansas Alumni Association had put together a package that Woodard said was well-received. But the package was canceled because of several problems.
For the package to be successful, more than 300 people needed to sign up. Only 91 did, which meant the Alumni Association could not afford to put the deal together.
Second, the hotel the group would stay in was on a different island than
the one the game is to be played on.
That meant added costs because people would have to be transported to the island for game day.
"The package we had was well-received by those who wanted to go and those who couldn't," Woodard said. "It just didn't work out."
With the cancellation of the Alumni Association Package, people were left to turn to the only other deal in town.
Travelers Tour, 831 Massachusetts St., put together a package, and people who had signed up for the Alumni Association trip, along with others, turned to them. The result was that Travelers Tour found its
See TICKETS, Page 3.
Michigan helps clear national championship picture
By Robert Sinclair
Kansan sportswriter
With the loss, Ohio State fell behind No. 3 Northwestern in the race for the Big Ten Conference championship, sending the Wildcats to their first Rose Bowl in 46 years.
When No. 14 Michigan defeated No. 4 Ohio State Nov. 25, the College Football Bowl Alliance's dream of an undisputed national championship was set into motion.
The Rose Bowl, the sole remaining bowl with conference ties, pits the Big Ten champion against the Pacific-10 Conference champion.
Since No. 1 Nebraska completed its unde-
feated season by winning against Oklahoma
Nov. 23, the final piece of the national champsi-
puzzle puzzle fell into place this weekend
when No. 2 Florida won the SEC champion with a 34-3 victory against Arkansas
"It worked out this year that the two undefeated teams are going to play in the Fiesta Bowl, and we're excited to be one of them," Florida football coach Steve Spurrier said Sunday in CBS' bowl selection show.
In the past, a matchup like this year's No. 1 against-No. 2 showdown would not have been possible because the Big Eight Conference champion had to go to the Orange Bowl while the winner of the SEC attended the Sugar Bowl.
Because of the alliance, the Fiesta Bowl was able to match up the only two undefeated, untied teams in Division I-A, setting up a national championship. The most recent championship game of this kind was in the 1994 Orange Bowl, when No. 1 Florida
State defeated No. 2 Nebraska 18-16.
The two other bowls in the alliance, the Orange and Sugar bowls, also made a decision about which teams to invite this weekend. The Orange Bowl will pit No. 6 Notre Dame against No. 8 Florida State, while the Sugar Bowl invited No. 9 Texas and No. 13 Virginia Tech.
Despite being in the same conference as more popular teams like No. 22 Miami and Syracuse, Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer said he never was concerned about receiving an invitation.
"I think regardless of whether Miami had stayed in the mix or not, the alliance would have taken Virginia Tech," he said. "Virginia Tech is the best team in the Big East this year, and that means no disrespect to Syracuse or Miami."
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As traditional national powerhouses, Notre Dame and Florida State have developed a recent history of big games against one another, the last one ending with No. 2 Notre Dame defeating No.1 Florida State 31-24 in South Bend, Ind., in 1993.
The Seminoles, however, did go on to win the national championship that year.
This raises the point of whether an undisputed national champion ever will be crowned. Until some sort of a playoff system is created, critics of the alliance say, the winner of No. 1 against No. 2 might win the "big game," but there still will be some doubt as to which team actually is best in the nation.
"In the absence of a playoff, this is certainly the best thing we can do for college football," Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne said.
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