kansas city sports & fitness magazine
DESCRIPTION
February 2009 issueTRANSCRIPT
2 FEBRUARY 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
The Golf ReportSteve Fisch
Publisher
11730 W. 135th St., Suite 18
Overland Park, KS 66221
Phone/Fax: (913) 764-2050
Email: [email protected]
www.kcsportspaper.com
EditorAlan Eskew
Sales913-764-2050
Steve Fisch
Contributing WritersBill Althaus, Chris Balda,
Audrey Harman, Tom Cannon,
John Doolittle, Greg Echlin,
Alan Eskew, David Garfield,
Bill Grigsby, Alan Hoskins,
Dr. Andrew Jacobs, John Landsberg,
Jim Potoski, David Smale, David Bigge,
Marc Bowman
Contributing PhotographersScott Thomas, Ed Graunke,
Alan Hoskins, Tom Cannon,
Scott Weaver, Jim Gill, Warren Ingram
On The CoverPhotos by Scott Weaver
Published MonthlyEntire Contents © Kansas City Sports& Fitness 2009. The views and opinions
of the contributing writers contained in
this publication do not necessarily reflect
the views and opinions of the editor
and/or publisher.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE FEBRUARY 2009
Pioli says much, divulges little . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Finding the right QB a priority for Chiefs . . . . . . . .5 Photo Gallery: Celebrations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
BIG 12 BASKETBALL14 KSU: Wildcat women not bothered by slight in polls
15 KU: Aldrich developing into topnotch center
17 MU: Lyons leads the Tigers
17 MIAA Tournament information
HIGH SCHOOL19 Wisner, Moore leading Blue Springs
SPORTS COMMISSION20 Event Calendar
H.O.R.S.E. - N - AROUND20 H.O.R.S.E. - N - Around update
COMMENTARY10 Now I understand why big league players miss cutoff men
10 What are the qualities you should look for in a coach?
11 KC Connection: Arkansas - Cowboys the choice over the Chiefs
11 Basketball body “art” and ’09 predictions
FITNESS18 How’s your New Year’s Resolution coming along?
18 Are you the “real deal” or a “slacker?”
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CALL 913-764-2050
8 Benjamin’s golf passion: Building you the right club
Something Different . . . . .14Metazone . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Contest: Free Ad . . . . . . . .7Contest: Phrase that Pays 12
COUPONINDEX
One-on-one with Royals’ GM Dayton Moore . . . .21Bloomquist looking for a chance to start . . . . . . .22New faces from other places . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
The Core Values of Army Strong: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor,
Integrity and Personal Couragepage 12
SPRINGTRAINING
SPOTLIGHT
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in Kansas City Sports & Fitness!Please take a moment to support our sponsors by visiting their businesses. This month we encourage you to visit or contact:
Cargo LargoThe U.S. Army
The Communities atBranson Creek
Murder Rock Golf andCountry Club
The Kansas CitySports Commission
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SnowboardMinksy’s Pizza
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Seeburg MufflerDouble Dog Sports &
EntertainmentFamous Dave’s
Something DifferentMedia GroupSport Courts
Shawnee Fitness ClubHereford House
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4 FEBRUARY 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
By ALAN ESKEW, Editor
Scott Pioli’s introductory press conference as the new Kansas City Chiefs general manager lasted just less than an hour.
Much was said, but little was revealed.Everybody knows Pioli was coach Bill Belichick’s right-hand
man and chief talent evaluator with the New England Patriots since 2000. In that time, the Patriots played in four Super Bowls,winning three.
Pioli remains a private man. He won’t be brash as his predecessor, Carl Peterson. Pioli won’t be disclosingtons of information, but preferring to play it closeto the vest. I would be surprised if Pioli wouldever have his own radio show live at someKansas City sports bar.
Pioli, however, acknowledged thesituation he inherited at ArrowheadStadium is different than what hewalked to with the Patriots. Whenhe went to the Pats, they were9-7, a contending team. TheChiefs went 2-14 in 2008 andhave lost 23 of their past 25games. The chore of rebuild-ing the Chiefs will be ardu-ous. But don’t think it cannotbe accomplished overnight.Turn the clock back to 2007and the Miami Dolphins andAtlanta Falcons were theNFL dregs. In 2008, theymade the playoffs.
“With their talent, obvious-ly there needs to be somechanges on the football team,”Pioli said. “With the way theteam performed, there needs tobe changes.”
Pioli waited 10 days beforemaking the first major change,which was almost inevitable, firinghead coach Herm Edwards with a yearleft on his contract. In that time frame,however, Pioli certainly picked Edwards’ brainand learned much about the talent level, or thelack of it, on the 2008 Chiefs.
“I know this football team from afar,” Pioli said. “I don’tknow this football team from inside this building. Those are twovery different things.”
The meetings with Edwards and his assists afforded Pioli anopportunity to garner valuable knowledge about the Chiefs fromthe inside.
Pioli said individuals go to Pro Bowls, but “teams win championships.”
“The goal is to build a team that consistently competes forchampionships, that has a long shelf life of being a good footballteam,” Pioli said. “The thing we’re trying to build here is not just ateam for 2009, not just for 2010.
How does he propose doing that?“I believe strongly in the draft,” Pioli said. “It’s the backbone of
your football team. Every single pick is an important pick. Clark(Hunt, owner) and I had a conversation about picks and theirimportance. Hopefully, we’ll be able to get a majority of them right.”
Most NFL teams prefer to build through the draft, rather thanfree agents and trades.
There was a phrase, a sentence, which Pioli repeated on whattype of players he is seeking.
“We’re going to build a big, strong, smart, fast, tough and disci-plined football team,” Pioli said. “We’ll do that by going
out and finding big, strong, fast, smart, tough anddisciplined football players.”
All Chiefs fans should be relieved. The Chiefs won’t be in the hunt for
any dwarfs, 90-pound weaklings,dummies, clocked in a 6.4 40-
yard dash, brittle and unman-ageable players.
“I’m not here to collect tal-ent,” Pioli said. “I’m here tobuild a football team.”
Yet, if Pioli collects aplethora of talented foot-ball players, hischances of building achampionship-caliberChiefs team shouldincrease. You think?
“This is going to bea very methodicalprocess in building thisfootball team,” Piolisaid. “We’re going tostart from the ground up
and build a foundationand move ahead and
touch every part of thefootball operation. The
patience I know Clark hastold me he’s going to show is
going to be rewarded.”Clark Hunt interviewed others for
the vacancy, but Pioli clearly toppedhis list.
“I was eager to get the best person andat the end of the day Scott was head and shoul-
ders above everyone else we talked to,” Hunt said. “I went into the interview thinking there was no way that this individual could live up to the hype surrounding him. At the end of the interview, I was like, ‘wow, not only did he live up to it, heexceeded it.’”
With the Pioli hiring, the Chiefs have begun the process ofrebuilding the once-proud franchise, which has fallen on hardtimes the past decade.
“I love challenges,” Pioli said.He certainly has one.
Pioli says much,divulges little
Pioli photo by Scott Weaver, Gonzalez photo by Scott Thomas
KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS FEBRUARY 2009 5
Finding the right QB a priority for Chiefs General manager Scott Pioli’s major player
personnel decision this off-season will bewho will be quarterbacking the Kansas
City Chiefs in 2009 and beyond.The leading candidates are incumbent Tyler
Thigpen, rookies-to-be Matt Stafford of Georgiaand Mark Sanchez of Southern Cal and MattCassel of the New England Patriots.
“The quarterback evaluation, this is going tobe part of the process,” Pioli said.
Thigpen, a second-year quarterback out ofCostal Carolina who the Chiefs picked up off thewaiver wire from the Minnesota Vikings on Sept.2, 2007, inherited the quarterback job last sea-son after injuries to Brodie Croyle and DamonHuard. Instead of carrying a clipboard, Thigpenwas thrust into action.
Thigpen’s final statistical line included 230completions in 420 attempts, a 54.8 completionpercentage, for 18 touchdowns and 12 intercep-tions. His quarterback rating was 76.
The one glaring Thigpen stat, however, thatstands out above all the rest is: 1-10, his recordas a starter. Yes, Troy Aikman did not win agame his rookie year with Dallas before develop-ing into a Hall of Fame quarterback and leadingthe Cowboy to three Super Bowl championships.To believe Thigpen would grow into an Aikmanrequires more faith than most have.
Mel Kiper, the ESPN draft guru, has Staffordgoing first in the April draft with the Chiefs pickingSanchez third overall.
“Every pick is important,” Pioli said. “Hopefully,we’ll be able to get the majority of them right.”
Sanchez, who is listed at 6-3, 225 pounds, finished his junior season with 3,207 yards pass-ing with 34 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. In the Rose Bowl, Sanchez shredded Penn State for 413 aerial yardage and was named theoffensive MVP.
After the game, Sanchez said it would be“hard” to leave USC for the NFL and would prob-ably return for his senior season. However, whenother junior quarterbacks and likely first-round
picks - Sam Bradford of Oklahoma, Tim Tebow ofFlorida (the past two Heisman Trophy winners)and Colt McCoy ofTexas - announcedthey were staying inschool; Sanchezopted to enter thedraft, much to thechagrin of USCcoach Pete Carroll.Sanchez becamethe first Trojans’quarterback to turnpro before using uphis eligibility sinceTodd Marinovich did after the 1990season.
While Sanchezhas a strong arm,however, he comeswith some red flagsfor some off-the-field issues. He was arrested inApril 2006 after a female USC student accusedhim of sexual assault. He was released from jailthe next day after posting $200,000 bail, but theuniversity placed him on interim suspension,which included suspension from the footballteam. On June 3, 2006, the Los Angeles CountyDistrict Attorney’s office said no charges wouldbe filed against Sanchez due to “lack of sufficientevidence beyond a reasonable doubt.” Thewoman left the university.
Sanchez was required to take a rape aware-ness class at USC. He was reinstated to the university, but faced team discipline for underagedrinking and using a fake ID on the night he wasarrested. Previously, Sanchez had beendetained, but not arrested by USC’s Departmentof Public Safety for allegedly breaking a windowat a fraternity party.
Pioli and the Chiefs will have to determine ifSanchez is worthy of a high first-round pick to bethe future franchise quarterback.
Cassel, like Sanchez, went to USC, but neverstarted at quarterback. He played behind
Heisman Trophywinners MattLeinart and CarsonPalmer. NewEngland pickedCassel in the sev-enth round in the2005 draft. Cassel,playing behind All-Pro Tom Brady,threw only 39 pass-es in his first threeyears with thePatriots.
In the 2008opener, ironicallyagainst the Chiefs,Brady suffered aseason-endingknee injury when
hit by safety Bernard Pollard. Cassel, who com-pleted the final year of a four-year contract, com-pleted 327 of 516 passes for 3,693 yards with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. With Bradyexpected back for 2009, there is speculationCassel will be moving to another team.
Cassel is scheduled to be an unrestricted freeagent in 2009, but the Patriots could retain himby applying the franchise tag. With Pioli’s back-ground with the Patriots, he would have to beinterested in acquiring Cassel if he is on the freeagent market.
“There is no other Tom Brady,” Pioli said. “And quite honestly, there is no other MattCassel. They are special football players. They’re special human beings.”
The Chiefs certainly need a special quarter-back to emerge in 2009.
NEW COACH UPDATEAt the time we went to press with the February
edition of Kansas City Sports & Fitness, the Chiefshad not named a new coach. For coverage on thisevent, visit our website: wwwwww..kkccssppoorrttssppaappeerr..ccoomm
DERRICK THOMAS ELECTED TO NFL HALL OF FAME
The Pro Football Hall of FameSelection Committee announcedon January 31st, that the late LBDerrick Thomas has been electedto the Hall of Fame’s Class of2009. The new inductees will beenshrined in Canton, Ohio onSunday, August 8th. Thomasbecomes the 10th member of the Chiefs to beenshrined in Canton.
KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS FEBRUARY 2009 7
Photo Gallery: CelebrationsT here hasn’t been too much for the Chiefs to celebrate over
the last few years. But our photographers Scott Thomasand Warren Ingram caught some of the opportunities the
team had to celebrate success. A few are shown here.
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present THE GOLF REPORT
8 FEBRUARY 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
Benjamin’s golf passion: Building you the right clubP laying golf with the wrong clubs is some-
thing akin to going elephant hunting with
a BB gun.
“Doesn’t work,” said Bert Benjamin,
arguably Kansas City’s most noted club fitter.
“For example, if you have club speed of
83 miles an hour with a spin rate of 2,000
and a launch angle of eight degrees, you’re
using the wrong driver. It doesn’t get the ball
in the air and nothing stops the ball quicker
than the ground.”
So how do you determine such factors as
club speed and spin rate along with such obvi-
ous factors as shaft weight, length and flexibili-
ty and the degree a driver is exposed at address,
you ask? Benjamin can provide everything you
ever wanted to know and probably a whole lot
more in a matter of minutes with a state-of-the-
art launch monitor at his place of business at
Robin Nigro Golf Academy at 135th and
Holmes in Martin City.
“It’s a very sophisticated Doppler radar that
actually tracts the ball in the air and gives me
exact data on club speed, ball speed, launch
angle and spin rate of the ball,” Benjamin said.
“You have to see the ball in the air. It’s not a
matter of calculations, it actually tracts the
flight of the ball. Then you find out the club
that works based on years of training.”
A part owner in Robin Nigro Golf Academy
since it opened in 2000, Benjamin has become
nationally known with a resume that reads like
a “Who’s Who of Club Fitters.” Mizuno has
named him one of the Top 10 Club Fitters in
the Nation while he’s been “Club Fitter of the
Year” for Ping,
Callaway and
Titleist and
National Club
Fitter of the
year for Taylor
Made. To make
sure he stays
current, he
annually
spends three or
more days
with each
manufacturer
in “post gradu-
ate training.”
He said the performance of a golf club is a
matter of physics. “Consequently the club is
dynamic in its performance. As you swing, the
shaft flexes and the head bows down and tries
to close. As you swing the club, the physical
characteristics differ for every individual golfer
and thus the option of shaft flex, weight of the
shaft, kick point of the shaft, loft of the driver
head and degree to which the driver is exposed
are all facets of the club’s performance.”
It is all of those facets that Benjamin takes
into consideration in finding just the right club
or clubs for each individual. “My passion is to
determine the proper facets to maximize a per-
son’s performance, not only the driver but also
the irons.
Once we
determine
the optimum
launch angle,
ball spin,
club head
speed and
ball speed,
we can build
the right
club.”
Benjamin
builds a driv-
er or an iron
from a
countless assortment of shafts and club heads
from each of five manufacturers and then
places an order to the appropriate manufactur-
er. When the new club or clubs arrive, he’s
been known to personally deliver them. “I love
what I’m doing and try to the best of my ability
to provide constant service. People really care
about their golf equipment.”
No story would be complete without my
giving the launch monitor a try and in a matter
of minutes, Benjamin had added 15 more yards
in length with a 7-iron and 12 yards with a
driver with the promise of much more once
I got familiar it.
I also learned that by toeing my club in to
prevent the ball from slicing was costing me
distance. “You were trying to control the club
when all you have to do is swing and not worry
about what the ball does,” Benjamin said. “A
properly fit golf club allows players to swing in
a normal fashion producing a longer and
straighter golf flight.”
Benjamin’s early years in Kansas City and
San Francisco were not spent on a golf course
but on a tennis court where he was ranked as a
teenager in the Missouri Valley Golf Assn. A
graduate of Pembroke Hill, his undergraduate
years were spent at Case Western Reserve
University in Cleveland where he walked on
and was the No. 1 singles and doubles player
all four years. An NCAA
qualifier as a senior, he was
also Cum Laude and
named to the Outstanding
College Athletes of
America.
“I was fortunate that the
Davis Cup was played in
Cleveland in two of the
four years I was there and
I was lucky enough to be a
ball boy and warmed up
players like Rod Laver and
it became clear very quick-
ly that law school was more attractive.”
While at Case, Benjamin had worked all
four years in the college bookstore and during
his junior year, he was put in charge of the law
book section. “It whetted my curiosity about
law school,” he said.
White at UMKC law school, Benjamin took
up golf. “My friends all played golf and when
it came to recreational sports, if I wanted to
continue spending time with my friends, I had
to play golf. I was very lucky in that both of
my great grandparents were founders of
Oakwood so I had a great place to play.”
Earning his law degree in 1975, Benjamin
practiced law until 1984 when he purchased
Hafekmeyer BMW (BMW Gallery), a dealer-
ship he held until selling it in 1995 to Baron
BMW. “I decided it was time to devote
my time to my passion which was golf,”
said Benjamin, who by then was an accom-
plished amateur, reaching the Missouri Am
quarterfinals and the semifinals of the Heart
of America.
It was also a time when golf was getting an
influx of new equipment, new materials such
as titanium and tungsten and new technology,
and the perfect time for Benjamin to be intro-
duced to club fitting by Mark Timms, the
founder of Hoststix golf facilities in Phoenix.
His career limits his playing time to about 20
times a year, but Benjamin stills plays to a zero
to two handicap. Entering the PGA apprentice
program in 2005, he passed the player ability
test on his first try with a pair of 73’s at
Alvamar and led his team to a first place tie in
a PGA Pro Junior event.
With a wide assortment of shafts and club heads from fivemanufacturers and a Doppler radar launch monitor, BertBenjamin can custom build golf clubs to fit every golfer’s individual specifications
Phot
o by
Ala
n H
oski
ns
AlanHoskins
Contributing
Writer
10 FEBRUARY 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
Now I understand why big league players miss cutoff menA s an old guy who has played and
followed baseball for several years it
has pained me the past few years to
see major league ballplayers make stupid
mistakes that even Little Leaguers would
not make.
Hitting the cutoff man is no longer some-
thing you can assume a major leaguer will
accomplish. Basic base running is a forgotten
art. Heck, we are lucky if they run hard to
first? Rundowns? Bunting? Backing up on
plays? Forget it.
Like an old guy I would complain about
the “good old days when ballplayers were
ballplayers.” Now I realize I was insensitive
to the afflictions affecting today’s pro
players.
A recent study showed that nearly eight
percent of major league players are taking
drugs for ADHD. Of course, this affliction
conveniently allowed them to take otherwise
banned stimulants. This explains everything.
All this time I was thinking that players
just didn’t know how to perform the basics of
the game. I am now aware that they are sick
and suffering from Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder.
No longer will I yell at an outfielder
making millions of dollars who misses the
cutoff man by 30 feet. It’s not his fault. He is
ill and taking medication for his disorder.
As fans maybe we need to dial down our
expectations for
pro players.
Maybe we should
cheer when play-
ers can run on the
field and find
their positions
without help. If a
player hits the
ball and runs to
first rather than
third we should
be appreciative.
To me knowing so many have ADHD
will change how I view them. Now I will
look on it more like the Special Olympics
with baseball players. It’s just great that they
are out there participating and giving it their
best effort.
� � �
Can someone help me out on a minor
issue that has been bothering me for several
seasons? Football players are now outfitted
with pads everywhere. Quarterbacks wear
flak jackets like they are going to be shot at.
Helmets now look like they were designed by
the creator of Star Wars.
With all these improvements in equipment
and technology why do so many players lose
their helmets during a
game after a big hit? It
has almost become com-
monplace to see one or
two helmets on the
ground after a play.
You would think in
this day and age some-
one could figure out how
to keep the helmet on a
player’s head. It doesn’t
do much good on the
ground.
� � �
Recently there was a fuss about Kansas
basketball coach Bill Self saying a few words
to a high school player, who happened to be
rated the No. 1 prep player in the country,
after a game in Springfield, Mo. This violated
some sort of rule about talking to a player
during a non-talking time as outlined by
the NCAA.
NCAA rules are funny. It has become
commonplace that a star recruit’s entire
family moves with him to college. Does the
college give them some sort of relocation
package? How can they
afford that?
How about dad being
named to a key position at
the college where his son
has chosen to play? When
the son’s eligibility ends
the dad’s position miracu-
lously disappear. Or he is
replaced by another father
of a talented high school
player. Funny how that
works.
I recently spoke to a
former pro player
who said someone else took his SAT test
to get him into college. He majored in
“Kinesiology” and had no idea what the
word even meant.
These are more than just “wink, wink”
kinds of things. That’s why Self blowing a
kiss to a high school kid doesn’t seem that
big of a deal.
Feel free to send your thoughts, comments, complaints, whatever to John at [email protected].
What are the qualities you should look for in a coach?I n mid January, the Kansas City Chiefs
hired Scott Pioli as their new general
manager as they attempt to turn the
franchise around from a team that went
6-26 over the past two seasons.
After a week and a half review, one of his
first public moves was to fire head coach,
Herman Edwards.
Edwards had a very positive reputation
with the players and was known for his abili-
ty to get along with organization employees.
However, in the end a professional franchise
that only won six out of 32 games over
seasons, led to his eventual dismissal.
In professional sports, it is about winning,
making the playoffs and getting a champi-
onship. What about high school sports or
youth sports? Is it and should it be about the
same thing? No one wants to lose or likes to
lose. Everyone, athletes, coaches, parents and
fans are all happier when a team wins instead
of loses. But, different levels of sports require
different types of coaching.
As a parent, when you begin to start your
child in athletics, one of the first steps you
take is to find a sport and a team to sign up
your child. There are all kinds of leagues and
levels of competition. Obviously, your child
has to want to play the sport.
But, once you decide what sport, your next
challenge is to pick out a team. Youth sports
is loaded with all kinds of individuals, quali-
fied and unqualified who are coaching.
One of the most important decisions you
will make as a parent with your child’s athlet-
ic career, will begin with what team and what
coach you decide to coach your child.
When picking out a coach, I would
suggest you talk to parents of other children
who have been coached by this individual.
Find out why the coach is coaching. How
does he/she communicate with the kids
and the parents? What are his/her goals
for coaching?
I believe the most important qualities
for a coach at this level should be an excel-
lent communicator. That means to not only
be able to express himself, but to be a good
listener.
At the youth level, it should not be about
winning, it should be about success and get-
ting better. How do the coached coach kids
when they fail. Do they yell and scream and
are condescending to kids? Or do they teach
and coach them to understand what they have
to do to get better?
Many people in our society feel we coddle
our kids too much. Too often we just give out
ribbons and trophies just for competing. Yes,
it is important to reward young kids for par-
ticipating, but we must also be able to teach
them how to succeed. Good coaches at the
youth level will be good communicators,
good listeners, good delegators and individu-
als who are not coaching for their ego, but for
the goal of seeing kids have fun and improve.
At the high school level, it is a different
situation. Most high school coaches coach
because they love coaching and teaching.
Some do it for their ego, some for the extra
money it provides, but most are in the profes-
sion because they want to. Usually the pay
isn’t very good and the feedback is usually
negative, especially when you have someone
on your team who is not happy. And most
high school teams have someone unhappy on
the team.
The qualities of a good high school coach
are the same as a youth sport coach, but
should also include excellent leadership
skills. I always say a good coach is a good
psychologist and at the high school level, you
have to understand a lot of factors that con-
tribute to an athlete’s participation. A good
coach will be able to listen, communicate and
be assertive when necessary.
This individual will not be afraid to estab-
lish rules and back them up, and should also
know how to listen to and
communicate with parents
as well as athletes.
Winning is an important
component at the high
school level, but making
the experience a positive
one that athletes will
remember later in their
life is more important.
High school coaches are
often tremendous role
models because they are
willing to help kids get better and accomplish
their goals.
Listen to the Dr. Andrew Jacobs SportPsychology Hour from 7-8 a.m. Sundays onSports Radio 810-AM WHB.
CUTOFFS AND COACHES
John LandsbergContributing
Writer
Dr. Andrew Jacobs, Ph.D
Contributing
Writer
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KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS FEBRUARY 2009 11
KC Connection: Arkansas - Cowboys the choice over ChiefsO n a recent trip south to Fayetteville,
Arkansas, I decided to make my sports
reporting rounds in a place where the
chances of a local Major League, profession-
al sports team were not quite in the cards.
Obviously Arkansas has a pretty unique
reputation across the country and there are
many sports fans south of us, Arkansas is a
wonderful place to see minor league sports.
The Kansas City Royals’ Class AA farm club
is in the Springdale-Bentonville area, the
Northwest Arkansas Naturals. The relation-
ship between the Naturals and Royals will
likely mean more fans from that area making
the trek to Kauffman Stadium as the minor
league players develop into big league play-
ers. This area is also the home of David
Glass, the Royals owner.
In all my travels, I think this one may have
stunned me the most based on the questions
I asked, and the results to follow.
Fayetteville, home of the University of
Arkansas, is almost straight south of Kansas
City and I pretty much expected to hear that
if there is a sports city that many residents of
Arkansas latch on to, it would be KC.
It would take about six hours for someone
to venture north on 71 and see the
Royals or the Chiefs. But this
answer to the question:
“What professional team
do you root for?” was
met with a variety of
answers and KC was not
the leading city of choice.
Surprisingly, Dallas and
Houston prevailed with a
sprinkling of St. Louis.
Another choice for many University of
Arkansas fans was also the Oakland Raider,
since Darren McFadden was drafted fourth
overall in the 2008 draft by the silver and
black and had an outstanding game at
Arrowhead.
As I dug deeper, I found out that for foot-
ball, the Dallas Cowboys reigned supreme,
far more than the Chiefs. Obviously the
Cowboys were featured as America’s team
through the 1970s and 1980s on television
each and every Sunday, and the memories of
Tom Landry, Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett,
Bob Lilly, Randy White and oth-
ers still provide a sense of
integrity and supremacy
that would last into the
1990s, when the
Cowboys won three
Super Bowls with Troy
Aikman, Emmitt Smith
and Michael Irvin. The
Cowboys, like the Chiefs, have
not won a playoff game in the new
millennium, but the Cowboys remain a heavy
favorite in this Arkansas region over the
Chiefs. Arkansas fans may make the trip to
Kansas City this fall as the Cowboys are
scheduled to play at Arrowhead.
Although the drive to Dallas takes a hair
longer, many make that drive to see the
Cowboys. Sports bars graced paraphernalia
from Texas.
Another Lone Star State team, the Oilers
from Houston and now the Texans, get some
play, but not nearly as much as the Cowboys.
When I asked residents why not KC, they
pretty much provided me with the standard
answer, “Why?” I was hoping for a grandiose
response, but got nothing.
As for baseball, the Astros receive most of
the attention and why not. Baseball is a fan
favorite and the fact Houston somewhat pre-
vails stems for a legendary story about a
young boy named Billy Bradley of El
Dorado, Ark. and a light-hitting third base-
man named Bob Aspromonte. I somewhat
knew of the story, but the legend of what
occurred still continues to this day.
Fortunately, there are newspaper clippings,
internet verification and local validation to
what occurred back in 1965.
Bradley, a nine-year-old Little Leaguer got
struck by lighting as he left practice. He
became blind and had to travel to Houston to
see a specialist to provide hope for restoring
his sight. Bradley made one special request,
asking for Bob Aspromonte to sign a ball.
Instead, he got a personal visit from the
Houston infielder. Back then, they were know
as the Colt 45’s, not becoming the Astros
until 1965, and Billy was absolutely excited
about meeting his favorite player. As
Aspromonte left the hospital, Bily asked him
to hit a home run for him, and Bob said that if
he did, it would be for him. Listening on the
radio, the request came true and Billy was on
the road to recovery.
Billy would return to Houston for medical
treatment and met with Aspromonte again
and asked him to hit a home run. He respond-
ed with a grand slam against the Cubs
The story doesn’t end there. Billy’s sight
was returning and he got
to go to a Colt 45’s game
and again, asked
Aspromonte to hit another
home run. Billy said he
only heard the first two on
the radio, but he actually
wants to see one in per-
son. Well, you guessed it,
Aspromonte hit a grand
slam once again, this time
against the Mets.
Sure this sounds like a
tall tale, similar to many
Babe Ruth stories, but look it up. It truly hap-
pened. Aspromonte would later lose part of
his vision later in life and ended up seeing the
same eye doctor that his young fan had.
In most KC Connection articles, I try to tie
one city with another and my trip to Arkansas
was supposed to be an easy one for writing
an article, unfortunately the only common
ground that I saw isn’t happening today, but
maybe in the future.
Believe me, I hope this doesn’t happen, but
if Kansas City doesn’t show improvement
with the Royals and the Chiefs, the fear of
losing these teams may become a reality.
Since the deaths of the Kauffmans and Lamar
Hunt, I fear the day that we experience what
other cities have endured, “Team Sold and
Moving.” However, with the tax money spent
on Kauffman and Arrowhead Stadiums reno-
vations, the Royals and Chiefs should be
locked into Kansas City for several years.
But that does beg the question, “Who
would we root for?” if we did not have the
Royals and Chiefs. Sure, we lost the NBA
Kings to Sacramento and the NHL Scouts to
Denver. Did any of us root for them after they
left? I tried, but I couldn’t, I ended up rooting
against them. What would happen if we lost
one or both?
Granted, I feel that are chances are slim of
this occurring, but do any of you root for
another team once the Royals or Chiefs are
eliminated from making the playoffs?
Luckily for many sports fans, we have fanta-
sy baseball and football to keep us engrossed
in the season. We end up rooting for the play-
ers more than our KC teams. One warning for
Rotisserie baseball is you may never root for
your home team again, but individuals.
I know this is true with many fantasy geeks
because I am one of them.
In conclusion, Arkansas is truly a sports
state that has some KC fans, but not as many
as I thought. I expected to hear stories of
trekking to KC and seeing George Brett or
Lenny Dawson. Instead, I heard the tale of
Bob Aspromonte and Billy Bradley.
Unfortunately, we don’t hear many stories
like that anymore.
ART AND ARKANSAS
JamesPeuster
Contributing
Writer
N ow that the Super Bowl is out of the way
with the Pittsburgh Steelers winning
their sixth Lombardi Trophy, we can
begin to focus on March Madness. Oh, of
course, there is news out of Florida and
Arizona where the boys of summer are
loosening up in spring training.
Here of late, I’ve been scouting basketball
around the country and I am a bit under-
whelmed at the proliferation of body art that
our young gladiators are flaunting.
Don’t misunderstand, I am not questioning
the athletic ability of these talented athletes,
but rather the less-than-class appearance.
Even my Jayhawks are into the needle - with
the twin Morris brothers sporting the look of
a Picasso painting. This look sort of goes with
the baggy drawers and otherwise general
sloppy appearance of the general public.
I’m almost to the point of expecting the
model of tomorrow coming down the runway
in a garbage can wearing red tennis shoes!
Pardon me, but where the hell did we
lose it?
But so much for my preaching on the rotten
state of the culture we are espousing. And I
don’t want the economic times as an excuse
for our demeanor. No, this slop yokel attitude
started long before the leadership in our
country took us down the alley.
How in the world did I get off the game of
roundball when my best intentions were to
enlighten you on the state of the game and
who to pick in the office pool.
My pick at the moment would be the
Louisville Cardinals. Rick Pitino is one great
coach and he has a bench-load of talent to
throw at everybody. That
did not help them on
Ground Hog Day, howev-
er, as they were defeated
by Connecticut.
I thought for a while
UCLA would be trouble-
some, but of late they
have soured.
Duke, Connecticut and
Wake Forest seem to be
the best in the East.
Pittsburgh has not thrown
in the towel.
The Big 12 has a number of programs that
could be troublesome to anybody, particularly
Texas, Oklahoma and even Kansas where Bill
Self lost his starting five championship team
from the season past. Don’t rule out Missouri
or Baylor, despite its recent woes, from earn-
ing NCAA bids.
I am writing with the basketball season
only a third over, but in the monthly maga-
zine business, deadlines force early evalua-
tions that can come crashing down at any
given moment.
There is much excitement over the changes
at Arrowhead, beginning with the new gener-
al manager, Scott Pioli, and I would hope that
would mean more ticket sales. It is important,
however, to give the new regime time to
make this franchise a playoff contender. The
nucleus of a contender is there...but it will
take a while to stir the blend and come out
with a quality product.
Be patient, friends, the best is yet to come.
BillGrigsby
Contributing
Writer
NEXT MONTH: MARCH MADNESS & GOLF PREVIEWADVERTISING DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 20
CALL 913-764-2050 OR EMAIL STEVE AT [email protected]
Basketball body “art” and predictions for ’09
12 FEBRUARY 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
The Core Values of Army Strong:Loyalty,Duty,Respect,Selfless Service,Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage
HOOAH!
W hile many of you were ringing in 2009with balloons, bubbly and big bands,Kansas City Sports & Fitness Publisher
and Sports & Fitness Radio Show co-host SteveFisch and I were treated toan educational excursion ofeye-opening proportions.Thanks to our friends andcorporate partners at theU.S. Army RecruitingBattalion Kansas City, wewere whisked away to SanAntonio to revel in the activi-ties and festivities surround-ing the 2009 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
This East versus Westclassic, in its ninth year, featured 78 of the bestsenior high school players destined to becomeAmerica’s future college and NFL stars. Not lostin all the helmets and handoffs was 97 of the tophigh school marching musicians comprising theU.S. Army All-American Marching Band. Whenyou lined up all these future leaders together on the Alamo Dome floor - attendees, family
members and spectators got a snapshot of the Army’s credo of strengthening individualsthrough development in training, values and experience.
Truth be told, we were treated to MUCH morethan just a football game. The Army Strong corevalues were dutifully on display from the time we
stepped off the plane(Captain Zoraida L.Mather was our escort)until the time we weredropped off at the airporta few days later (MasterSergeant Paul Volpe wasour escort). Allow me tobrag about this memo-rable experience:
Friday, January 2, 2009After arriving at the San
Antonio Marriott Riverwalk, Lieutenant ColonelEric T. Reinkober (our KC connection) chaper-oned us to a second-floor greeting area. Wereceived our Tour Itinerary (all events listed inmilitary time) and Goodie Bag that included anArmy briefcase, white polo, hat, pins, dayplannerand more. Sweet haul, indeed. Made me feel aswelcomed and wanted as Barack Obama on
Inauguration Day. A few hours later Steve and I were suit-and-tie GQ models in the lobbychatting up with Rockhurst High football coach
Tony Severino and wife Marilyn. Eventually our entire posse was led on a short walk to the Grand Hyatt for the All-American BowlAwards Dinner.
It was quite an honorable presentation. Theplayers and coaches were introduced under thebright lights a la rock-star status. Military person-nel were dressed in their Class A/Dress Blue. I had a PurpleHeart recipient atmy table. You bet Ishook his handseveral times. Mostmemorable was themusical presenta-tion by the 82ndAirborne Chorus.This well-oiled crewin active combatuniform was asinging and march-ing sensation thatSimon Cowellwould enthusiastically endorse.
All I could think was that our country is inexcellent hands with these willing warriors. Mosthard-hitting was whendouble-leg amputeeSergeant Nathan Hunttook the stage in a wheel-chair pushed by his wifeand received his secondPurple Heart. His was achilling story of courage. I was deeply moved. Laterwe were enlightened bymotivating speeches fromGeneral, Vice Chief ofStaff Peter Chiarelli andNFL MVP Marshall Faulk.Both presented the 2009 U.S. Army Player of theYear award to running back Bryce Brown ofWichita East High School.
Saturday, January 3On my sister’s birthday, our morning got rolling
at 0800 with a Future Soldier Breakfast outdoorsand adjacent to the Alamo Dome. Eating under atent seemed very Army-ish. I had two wannabe
Soldiers, one male and one female, at my table.Each was enlisting to take advantage of theArmy’s educational and occupational opportuni-
ties. Kenneth O. Preston, SergeantMajor of the Army, was the guestspeaker. He dished out these com-pelling stats:
• There are 1.1 million ArmySoldiers serving today
• Future Soldiers fall into the agecategory of 17-24
• Only three of 10 applicants are qualified (Army gets the best of
the best) • 250,000 Soldiers are currently deployed in
80 countries • 275,000 Soldiers are currently furthering
their education •15 Soldiers
per day areearning a col-lege degree
After leavingthe mess tent,we were grant-ed one hour topatrol the inter-active play-ground knownas the Army Strong Zone. I’d describe it as aDisneyland of Military Might - featuring simulatedhelicopter rides, a rock-climbing wall, boot campwith barking drill instructor, simulated demonstra-tions and Guitar Hero-meets-Guns-and-Ammovideo kiosks. I got to hoist a FIM-92 Stinger onmy shoulder and role play as G.I. Jim. Steve and I encountered a 23-year-old medic in the MedicTheater. I was totally blown away by how thisyoung man carried out his battlefield duties so
effectively under ultra-intenseconditions. Very impressive.This heroic Soldier should be aguest speaker in every highschool across the country.
U.S. Army All-American BowlWith the Army Strong Zone
temporarily shut down for thegame, everyone flocked into theAlamo Dome. Our group wasguided by Colonel Robert B.Akam, Commander of the U.S.Army 5th Recruiting Brigade
into a mid-level suite offering excellent sight linesand chow/refreshments. On the field before thegame, 232 Future Soldiers were sworn in. Firsttime I’d ever seen anything like that. Although the Chiefs have done that before games atArrowhead Stadium. Nice touch for us civilians.
The game evolved into a second-half thriller.The West won 30-17 as Brown caught two touch-down passes and
PHRASE ENTRY FORM complete rules available at kcsportspaper.com
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Send entry to: Kansas City Sports & Fitness, 11730 West 135th Street, Suite 18, Overland Park, KS 66221Enter online at: www.kcsportspaper.com You must be 18 or older to win.
Here’s How:1. Listen to the Kansas City Sports
& Fitness Radio shows on eitherSaturday mornings from 8-9 AMon Hot Talk 1510 or Fridayevenings from 6-7 PM on1140/1160 AM or online atkcsportspaper.com
2. In each show we’ll tell you theSports Phrase That Pays
3. Write the Sports Phrase ThatPays on the entry form belowand mail it to Kansas City Sports& Fitness
4. We’ll pick one winner randomlyfrom all entries received by3/10/2008
IT’SEASY!
continued on next page
KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS FEBRUARY 2009 13
shared co-MVP honors. Steve and I spent most of the second halfon the sidelines shooting photos and dodging cheerleaders. Afterthe game, we went back to the Army Strong Zone and sat inside amilitary helicopter. Beautiful machine serving dutiful missions.
Sunday, January 4Special day to feel, smell and embrace Army Strong. The tenets
of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and per-sonal courage took center stage. Our morning began at 0915 withan “Educator Tour” bus trip to Brooke Army Medical Center(BAMC) at Fort Sam Houston. We were herded into a small audito-rium and welcomed by Commanding General Thomas P. Bostick.Over previous years, heoversaw $18 billion worth ofreconstruction in Iraq. Thatis mind-boggling?
Shortly thereafter com-menced a Wounded WarriorPanel Discussion. Double-leg amputee Hunt took thestage with a warrior wholost one leg and anotherwho was burned over 40percent of his body. Theytalked, we listened andasked follow-up questions.Inspiring presentation - totally unscripted and heartfelt. Up nextwas a tour of the BAMC Burn Unit and Occupational/PhysicalTherapy floors. The Army certainly spares no expense or expertiseto fully rehabilitate its wounded warriors.
Next came lunch and the sharing of chicken-and-rice with NASAastronaut Shane Kimbrough. This West Point graduate and base-ball team captain was aboard the most-recent Space ShuttleEndeavour mission. We invited him to appear on our radio showlater this month and he accepted. Stay tuned to the Kansas City
Sports & FitnessRadio Showheard Fridaysfrom 6-7 pm on1140 and1160AM andSaturdays from8-9 am on HotTalk 1510 AM.
After chow-ing, we wereshepherded to
the Center for the Intrepid (CFI) for a tour of this gorgeous, four-story facility that provides service members with severe extremityinjuries and amputations the opportunity to maximize their ability tolive and work productively. Once again, the Army showcased theabsolute best technology and people available to take care of itsown. One final bus ride took us to the San Antonio Gun Club for anoutdoor shooting demonstration by two Army Marksmanship Unit(AMU) Soldiers who were medal winners at the 2008 BeijingOlympics. Fun-filled ending to fun-tastic weekend.
Monday, January 5A quick tour of The Alamo, then we hit the
airport. Whatwere my threekey takeaways?
A Soldier inthe U.S. Army isthe embodimentof physicalstrength, emo-tional strength
and strength of purpose. The U.S.Army is made up of the best-trained,most-dedicated and most-respectedSoldiers in the world. There’s a guestactivity called “Tandem Jump with theGolden Knigthts” - hope my skydivingnumber (hint hint, wink wink!) gets called in 2010.
Remember that Army polo shirt I received on day one? I got four
autographs on it - two on each sleeve. On the left sleeve is Bostickand Kimbrough. On the right is Preston and Hunt. Four amazing
Soldiers. Four heroic Americans.
HOOAH!There are more than 150 different
jobs for Soldiers on active duty and 120 in the Army Reserve:
� Administrative Support� Arts & Media� Combat� Computers & Technology� Construction & Engineering� Intelligence & Combat Support� Legal & Law Enforcement� Mechanics� Transportation & Aviation
For recruiting information visitgoarmy.com
THE COLLEGE HOOPS REPORT
14 FEBRUARY 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
Wildcats women not bothered by slight in pollsThe Kansas State women’s basketball
team entered February with an 18-2
record and 5-2 in the Big 12. The
Wildcats have defeated teams from the Big
10, the SEC and the Pac 10, besides five
teams from their own conference.
Their only losses were 16 points at
Oklahoma, which is ranked second nation-
ally, and 60-50 at Iowa State, which is
22nd in the AP. But the Wildcats were
ranked No. 14 in the AP and No. 12 in the
coaches’ poll, behind three other teams
from the Big 12.
In the preseason polls, Kansas State,
which won the Big 12 last season, was not
ranked at all, although there were five con-
ference teams that were ranked. Kansas
State returned four of five starters, but was
neglected in the ratings.
So how bothered are the Wildcats by the
lack of national respect?
“We don’t put too much emphasis on
preseason rankings,” senior guard Shalee
Lehning said.
Said sophomore guard Shalin Spani,
“We just worry about inside our gym.
We focus on getting better every day.”
While her players have mastered the
world of sports clichés, coach Deb
Patterson agreed with the basic sentiment.
“When we focus on ourselves, the best
things happen,” said Patterson, who is in
her 13th season as the KSU coach.
“Very rarely does anyone else focus on us.
A year ago, when we won the Big 12 out-
right, we didn’t do so because we were
superior to
any other team
in our league.
We just found
ways to win.
That’s why we
don’t over-
react.
“Everyone
else in our
league is real-
ly good. Texas
A&M is great. They’ve got two all-
Americans on their team. Texas is tremen-
dously talented. We understand that
Oklahoma has been a Final Four pick the
last three years. They’ve got players that
Connecticut and Tennessee were recruiting
the past few years. You’ve got Baylor.
You’ve got Texas and Texas A&M and
Oklahoma State that were Sweet 16 teams.
You’ve got Iowa State. When you look at
our league, it can be one win or two wins
that separate first place from seventh place.
“So, I don’t think any of us were sur-
prised. We didn’t take it personally. We
appreciate the strength in our league. But
it’s motivation. It inspires you to want to
achieve higher. I think it’s that simple.”
Patterson said it is beneficial for her
team to be overlooked.
“I think we understood we were going to
have to recreate the team,” she said. “You
can’t replace your sister with your brother.
They’re two distinct entities. The same is
true when you lose a first-team all-Big 12
player (Kimberly Dietz). So we just go
about our business every day. We knew
people would not expect us to be a con-
tender. For us, every day the challenge is to
prove and establish that we believe we can
be a contender.”
History is repeating itself. Last year’s
team was picked tied for eighth (third in
the North) in the pre-season, and then went
13-3 to claim the program’s first outright
Big 12 championship. The Wildcats
became the first team in Big 12 women’s
or men’s basketball history to go from last
in the conference standings to first the next
year. They lost Dietz, but everybody else is
back. The key for Patterson is to develop
her team around the talent it has, and
Patterson is realistic.
“We believe that every team is new. It’s
a process of establishing a sense of who
you are,” she said. “You define your goals
and expectations relative to the personality
and character you have. Anyone can say
you want to do something. There’s a
process of getting there. I can say I want us
to be national champions, but I know
Connecticut has a far better shot at it.”
Replacing Dietz has
been tough. When she
went down with a knee
injury in the Wildcats’
Big 12 tournament loss
to Iowa State, it ended a
career in which she
became the fourth player
in school history to tally
1,300 points and 300
assists for her career, as
she finished ranked 10th
in school history with
1,321 points and ninth in
career assists with 306.
The Wildcats have relied heavily on
three players this season: Lehning, fellow
senior Marlies Gipson and junior Ashley
Sweat. Gipson and Sweat have given the
Wildcats a strong presence inside, and
Lehning has been stellar at the point. But
the off-guard and small forward positions
have been a struggle.
“Everybody has done a great job,”
Lehning said. “Ashley and Marlies have
been great every night. The two newcom-
ers making the most impact have been
Shalin and Kari (Kincaid). They’ve done a
great job of filling Kimberly’s role. They
are three-point threats and give us good
quality minutes.”
Patterson is looking for consistency.
“We’ve really leaned very hard on Lehning
and Gipson,” she said. “We’ve had the real
consistent play of Ashley Sweat. She’s
given us a chance of having that founda-
tion of three very solid pieces.
“Then, by committee through the course
of the season, we have tried to develop and
maximize those 2 and 3 positions. There’s
nothing that we bring to the floor that’s set.
If you look at Lehning, Sweat and Gipson,
you’ve got three who will be there every
night. But against Iowa State, we played
four players in our wing position and only
one of them scored for us. We are literally
working every possession up the floor, to
get them to play to their strengths.”
Until a fourth scorer steps up, the
Wildcats will continue to rely mostly on a
smothering defense. They’re first in the
Big 12 and in the nation in points allowed
per game at 49.8. “If we can’t drop down
shots from all five positions, we have to
play defense at an extremely high level,”
Patterson said.
Spani is probably the most likely to
be the next key contributor. Patterson
says Spani reminds her of Dietz in a lot
of ways at this point in her career. Adding
ball-handling skills will make her the type
of all-around player Dietz became later in
her career.
“Shalin has made great progress,”
Patterson said. “Physically she’s signifi-
cantly more prepared for Division I
basketball. She came off a high school
DavidSmale
Contributing
Writer
Phot
o co
urte
sy K
SU A
thle
tics
continued on page 23
THE COLLEGE HOOPS REPORT
KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS FEBRUARY 2009 15
C ole Aldrich has always been the center of
attention. From grade school to the prep
ranks, Aldrich towered above others on
and off the court.
Aldrich, a 6-11, 250-pound Kansas sopho-
more, is standing even taller and emerging as
one of the top centers in college basketball.
Coaching legend and current ESPN analyst
Bobby Knight said Aldrich could be the best
center in the nation by season’s end. Kent
State coach Gene Ford believes Aldrich might
already be there after he dominated the
Golden Flashes with 10 points, 13 rebounds
and four blocks in a KU 87-60 victory.
“Cole Aldrich might be the best center in
the country,” Ford said. “I thought he was
going to foul our whole team out in the first
half. He buries you close to the rim and you
end up fouling him because he pins you so
deep. He is much improved. I saw him in the
NCAA tournament (last March) because their
draw called for them to play right before we
did. He has to be the most improved player in
college basketball. A year ago watching him,
(he) wasn’t that impressive and now I watch
him and he is amazing. He certainly is a
big-time player at this point.”
Aldrich has only gotten better since then.
Entering February, Aldrich was averaging
15.0 points, 9.8 rebounds (No. 2 in Big 12)
and a Big 12-leading 2.6 blocks in 28.7 min-
utes per game. Aldrich, a Bloomington,
Minn., native, was also shooting a confer-
ence-best 63.5 percent from the field and
78.7 percent at the free-throw line. He’s had
11 double-doubles and is on pace to tie Raef
LaFrentz for second-most double-doubles for
a season in school history.
Not bad numbers for a player who averaged
just 2.8 points in 8.3 minutes per game last
year as the fourth big man behind Darrell
Arthur, Darnell Jackson and Sasha Kaun.
Arthur and Jackson are now in the NBA,
while Kaun is playing professionally in
Russia.
“I think really just going against some great
big guys in practice every day, grabbing
rebounds, trying to block their shots, trying to
make good post moves on them, it really
improved my game,” Aldrich said.
It was a gradual maturation process for
Aldrich, who acknowledged to being lost
as a freshman.
‘Finally, toward the end of the season,”
Aldrich said, “things started to slow down.”
Aldrich was never better than the Final
Four against
North
Carolina.
He came off
the bench in
the first half
and domi-
nated a
stretch, out-
playing
National
Player of
Year Tyler
Hansbrough,
once ripping
an offensive rebound away from him.
On the biggest stage of his life, Aldrich had
the best game of his life with eight points,
seven boards and four blocks in 17 minutes.
“I just took the opportunity and came out
and tried to hold my own,” Aldrich said. “It
definitely gave me confidence. Just playing
against the best guy in college basketball and
playing well, it really made me think that
maybe I do have a little skill.”
Aldrich worked tirelessly in the off-season
to improve his skills. He got stronger, quicker,
and developed a nice 15-to-17 foot jump shot.
That work has paid off with some huge
games this year. Aldrich scored 15 points and
grabbed 16 boards in a loss to Syracuse at the
Sprint Center. He went for 22 and 10 in the
Jayhawks’ victory over ranked Tennessee. He
logged 24 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks
against Siena.
Nicknamed the “Fly Swatter,” Aldrich goes
after every block and rebound with a
vengeance.
“I just try to do everything,” Aldrich said.
“I try to block shots. If I can’t get it, I try to
alter it because not many teams are used to
having a big guy that can really block shots.”
Indeed, Aldrich is a major presence in the
middle that makes plays happen on defense
and offense.
“We have really been stressing getting the
ball to Cole inside because he is our best play-
er in the paint,” sophomore guard Tyrel Reed
said. “Whenever he gets a touch good things
happen. He’s either going to kick it out or
make a shot and get fouled.”
Aldrich’s game kicked into higher gear
after the lowest moment of his college career
in an 84-67 loss at Arizona. He had 10 points
(four shot attempts) and just four rebounds,
while Arizona’s star big man Jordan Hill
schooled him in the paint with 23 points,
11 rebounds and two blocks.
After the loss, Aldrich spoke to KU coach
Bill Self.
“He just said, ‘Make sure that doesn’t hap-
pen again. Make sure that’s your worst game
all year,’” Aldrich said.
He has been on a mission since then,
averaging 17.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and
3.1 blocks in Kansas’ next eight games,
while shooting a sizzling 68.7 percent from
the field.
“He’s getting better all the time,” Self said.
“It amazes me. We look at him like he’s our
grizzled veteran out there. He played eight
minutes a game (last season), and I bet four of
those minutes were averaged in blowout wins.
It’s pretty good that he’s done this well this
fast. ...I think the way he is playing right now
is how any coach would want their big guys
to play. I think he is playing more aggressive.
The thing that Cole does as well as anybody
that I’ve coached is reading offensive
rebounds. He will not let his man block him
off. His effort on the offensive glass in phe-
nomenal. It is far better than anyone else on
our team, and is the best in
our league. He is leading
the league in offensive
rebounds per game with
a guy named Blake Griffin
(Oklahoma center) in
our league.
“I don’t know if many
other (big) guys possess
his touch and hands and
his ability to step away
from the basket and run
and do some of the same
things he does. He’s got a
chance to be a special, special player.”
Aldrich is flattered by all the hosannas,
but he’s not caught up in the hype or playing
in the NBA in the future. He just wants to
lead KU to its fifth straight Big 12 champi-
onship and have another deep run in the
NCAA tournament.
“I think the sky’s the limit for us,” Aldrich
said. “We can play really good, but then there
are times we can play not so smart. We have
to really (limit) those times that we don’t play
so smart because it’s not easy in conference
play. Teams are always gong to give you a
tough game, whether you’re home or on the
road. I just want to get better every day,”
Aldrich said. “I just want to be the best Cole
Aldrich can be. If that’s averaging this and
DavidGarfield
Contributing
Writer
Phot
o by
War
ren
Ingr
am
continued on page 17
Aldrich developing into topnotch center
THE COLLEGE HOOPS REPORT
KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS FEBRUARY 2009 17
By ALAN ESKEW, Editor
Lyons leads the Tigers L eo Lyons took a circuitous less-traveled
road to Missouri and has hit a couple of
pot holes since his arrival in Columbia.
Coach Mike Anderson suspended Lyons
against Colorado in January after he was
arrested for failure to display proof of
insurance, a misdemeanor warrant result-
ing from a previous unpaid fine and failure
to have lights on vehi-
cle. Lyons was held of
out the starting lineup
the next four games.
Lyons was suspend-
ed for the Nebraska
game as a junior, along
with four other Tigers,
for violation of team
rules when they were
at a Columbia night-
club when teammate
Stefhon Hannah suf-
fered a broken jaw in
an altercation.
After his 2008
suspension, Lyons
returned with vengeance, scoring 27 points
and hauling in 18 rebounds against
Oklahoma. He scored 22, 19 and 18 points
in his next three games.
Lyons returned to the starting lineup at
the end of January this year and scored a
career-high 30 points in a victory over
Baylor, hitting 14 of 15 free throws and
8 of 11 from the field. Lyons reached the
1,000-point milestone in the game.
Getting there from where Lyons was is
a meandering journey. He was born in
Topeka. His mother, Georgia, was an
All-State volleyball player at Topeka
West High.
“I stopped her from going to college
when I was born,” Lyons said. “I’m just
carrying on the legacy.”
The family moved to Kansas City.
“He went to four different high schools,”
Missouri coach Mike Anderson said.
“That’s no knock on Leo. I’m the first
coach he’s been with for at least two years.
You think about it.”
Lyons averaged 18 points and 10
rebounds as a junior at Kansas City Piper,
but transferred his senior season to Coastal
Academy in Virginia Beach, where he
averaged 21 points and eight rebounds.
“That helped me a lot,” Lyons said.
“When I went to the prep school level,
there were national players, a lot of guys
now in the NBA or a lot of guys that were
hot talents who are now in college. Playing
against guys like that brought my game up
to another level.”
He was recruited by then coach Quin
Snyder and played sparingly as a freshman
in 2005-06, averaging 9.5 minutes and
2.6 points in 25
games. Anderson
replaced Snyder
the next season.
“It was very dif-
ficult, just to come
from running plays
and a half-court
offense to a full-
court offense,”
Lyons said of the
coaching change
and different
styles. “Even
though my body is
made for it, it was
kind of tough to
just switch systems like that. He expects a
lot of you.
“My freshman and sophomore years
were both rough and then with the coach-
ing change and trying to get used to the
system. A lot of people didn’t know I could
do that stuff. At the end of last year when
I was averaging all them points, people
were surprised. They didn’t know that
I could do it. But now that I’m comfort-
able, I feel like I can do that every day.”
He averaged 13.1 points, including 14.3
in conference play, and 5.7 rebounds as a
junior. He was named to the Big 12 All-
Improved Team. He led the Tigers with six
20-point games and scored in double fig-
ures in 18 in the final 24 games.
“I expect a whole lot more than last
year,” Lyons said. “A lot of people were
surprised about what I did last year. But
I was just getting comfortable. So now
that I’m comfortable I can play a whole
lot better.
“It was very important to me to improve
from freshman to sophomore and then
sophomore to junior. This year I expect to
take it to another level. People are starting
to recognize my talents and I’m starting to
understand the system of coach Anderson.”
There were games Lyons was dominant
as a junior, like against Oklahoma State,
and Maryland, where he collected 23
points and 11 rebounds at the Sprint
Center. Then there were games, Lyons
would seemingly disappear. In the
conference tournament last March, a
loss to Nebraska, Lyons was 2-for-12
from the field, scored seven points and
had six boards.
“He was inconsistent. Leo was pretty
young,” Anderson said. “I think now he
understands his role a little bit more. He’s
a bigger impact on the team now. He feels
like he is. That’s a good feeling when
you’re one of the upperclassmen. Now
there are some things expected of you.
Will he bring that to the table; that remains
to be seen? I like his attitude. He’s one of
the leaders. Our guys really respect him.
Our young guys really look up to him.”
Lyons has been more consistent as a
senior, scoring in double figures in all but
two games and 20 or more points in five
games. He is averaging 14.8 points and
5.9 rebounds, both an increase over his
junior season.
He and DeMarre Carroll, who had
25 points against Baylor, provide the
Tigers with a formidable tandem inside.
“We didn’t have an answer for Lyons
and Carroll,” Baylor coach Scott Drew
said. “They both had a great game and got
to the foul line for a lot of free throws. We
needed to get them in foul trouble, and we
couldn’t do it.”
Lyons and Carroll have the Tigers on
another path that should end with an
invitation to the NCAA Tournament.
MIAA BASKETBALLCHAMPIONSHIPS
March 5-8The MIAA Basketball Championships are returning
to the historic Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City,Mo., March 5-8, bringing high-quality NCAA Division II basket-ball to area fans and alumni.
All-session and single-sessiontickets are available throughTicketmaster at www.ticketmas-ter.com/miaa, charge-by-phone
at 1-800-745-3000, or at all area Ticketmaster outlets. The tournament tips off Thursday, March 5, with
first-round men’s action, while the women’s first roundgames will be played on Friday, March 6. Sessionsbegin at noon and 6 p.m. each day.
Semifinal round games are slated for Saturday,March 7, with the men playing in the afternoon sessionstarting at noon, and the women taking over for the 6p.m. session.
Championship Sunday, March 8, begins with themen’s game at 1 p.m., immediately followed by thewomen’s title matchup.
This is the seventh year the NCAA Division II confer-ence with 11 schools in Missouri, Kansas and Nebraskahas conducted its tournament in the birthplace ofchampionship collegiate basketball.
MIAA members include the University of CentralMissouri, Emporia State University, Fort Hays StateUniversity, Missouri Southern State University, MissouriWestern State University, the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Northwest Missouri State University, PittsburgState University, Southwest Baptist University, TrumanState University and Washburn University.
The top eight men’s and top eight women’s teamswill advance to Kansas City, with automatic berths tothe NCAA Division II Championships at stake.
The all-session ticket, which is good for seven ses-sions and all 14 games, is again available for $40 perperson. Single-session tickets will be sold in advancefor the first time, and those are available for $15.
Student/youthtickets will still beavailable only atthe Municipal boxoffice during theevent.
“UsingTicketmaster willgive fans moreoutlets for pur-chasing tickets,and really givesour event a higher profile,” MIAA commissioner JimJohnson said. “We hope the fans take advantage of theconvenience of purchasing either online, throughTicketmaster’s toll-free number or at one of the manyother available outlets throughout the Midwest.”
Institutional passes are on sale at MIAA campuses.For $30, the ticket holder is guaranteed admission toevery game for their favorite MIAA school - men’s andwomen’s - for a maximum of five sessions (10 games).Once the school is completely eliminated from the tour-nament, the ticket is no longer valid. All-session ticketsalso will be available on campuses which aren’tTicketmaster outlets.
this (or) averaging 39 minutes from here on
out, I just want to help the team.”
While he’s come a long way in his second
season, Aldrich is still a work in progress.
“I’m definitely not polished at all,” he said.
“There are a lot of things I can do just from
a knowledge of the game part, watch a lot
more film (and) doing a lot of different stuff
on the court.”
Self agrees.
“He’s still young,” Self said. “I think he
just needs to mature. And strength is a big part
of that, where his body can handle it every
day and his lower body strength is better
where people can’t nudge him off balance.
That would be the biggest thing.”
His teammates certainly like having the
happy-go-lucky 20-year-old along for the ride.
“Cole is just Cole all the time,” sophomore
guard Conner Teahan said. “He never
changes. He’s the same way. He’s always the
kind of lanky guy walking around, having a
good time and telling jokes. What he says to
his best friend, he’ll say to anybody. It doesn’t
matter who you are, it doesn’t matter if he just
met you or not. He’s going to be himself and
he’s not going to be anybody else. That’s what
is so great about him.”
Junior C Matthew Rogers has helpedthe Southwest Baptist Bearcats to a Top10 ranking in the NABC Division II Pollthis season. (Photo by Matthew S. Hicks)
Phot
o co
urte
sy M
U A
thle
tics
KU’s Aldrich - continued from page 15
THE HEALTH & FITNESS REPORT
18 FEBRUARY 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
How’s your New Year’s Resolution coming along?H ere we are into the second month of the
New Year and like most, have already
failed at our New Year’s Resolution…to
lose weight. Nevertheless, don’t despair too
much…you are in good company.
Fifty-five percent of adults in America are
overweight. So how do you get back on your
weight loss wagon?
First, make a commitment to yourself to
look and feel better. Secondly, don’t diet.
Diets fail because they lower your caloric
intake below the basal metabolic rate, creat-
ing a negative energy balance. You will lose
weight, but it will be muscle loss.
Make your New Year’s Resolution a way
of life. Setting reasonable goals and staying
focused are the two most important factors in
sticking with a weight loss program, and the
key to success for those millions of
Americans who made a New Year’s commit-
ment to shed extra pounds. Outlined below
are a few goals as you work towards keeping
your commitment to yourself in 2006.
Goal No. 1: Figure out when and why you
have “snack attacks.”
Keep a log of why you ate and how you
felt while doing so. This exercise will help
you begin to identify over-eating or binge
eating triggers and begin to avoid them.
Goal No. 2: Eat a low fat, balanced diet
each day.
We do need some fat in our diets, but we
simply get too much of the bad kind in our
diets. Work towards reducing the amount of
fat intake down to 20-50 grams per day. Read
the labels and stick with foods with no Trans
Fats, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated
fats. Each one of us has different energy
needs, body compositions, and chemistries.
What works for one person, does not neces-
sarily work for another.
Goal No. 3: Eating to the point of satisfac-
tion.
Eat only when you are hungry will help
you to recognize the feeling of hunger and eat
only when you feel hungry. If you fill your-
self up each time, you will lose that ability,
causing you to eat any time you think you
want to eat, or see a delicious food, when in
reality you are not even hungry. You are actu-
ally saving yourself calories! At the end of
each meal get into the habit of asking your-
self if you are full or satisfied. Eat to satisfy,
not be full.
Goal No. 4: Eat every 3 hours up to
6 meals per day.
Eating increases your metabolism, so by
eating six meals a day you spread your
metabolism over the day. Eating one or two
large meals a day gives one big energy boost,
but your metabolism receives little help dur-
ing the rest of the day. This technique gives
your metabolism a boost at each meal. Look
at your daily routine and lifestyle, using this
as a guide to begin eating, when to eat
throughout the day, and when to stop eating.
The total daily caloric intake will need to be
divided by six to determine how many calo-
ries should be consumed at
each meal.
Goal No. 5: Stop eating 3
hours before bedtime.
Try to eat bigger meals
earlier in the day. We typi-
cally need more energy
during the day than in the
evening, and partly
because eating three hours
before bedtime will auto-
matically increase your
weight by two to three pounds. Your metabo-
lism simply does not increase to the same rate
late in the day. Your body knows when you
will go to sleep not wanting to be “revved
up.” Calories eaten before bedtime will be
converted to fat more quickly.
Goal No. 6: Drink plenty of water.
Eight glasses per day is the bare mini-
mum…even as much as one gallon per day is
Are you the “real deal” or a “slacker?”O ver the years, I have observed both
directly and indirectly many individuals
performing their fitness routines. You get
an interesting perspective when you see the
same individuals year round.
Interestingly enough, I have been in gyms
on the west coast, far north and Kansas City
and you see the same types of individuals and
situations, regardless of geography.
My goal with people-and these articles-
has always been to get them exercising regu-
larly - and also exercising productively. As
such I have noticed so many aren’t getting
what they could out of their workout, thus not
reaching their potential.
This is for many reasons, and I want to say
not everyone has to be an Olympic athlete
when they workout. Any physical activity is
better than none. But I have observed and
have proven many a time that the average Joe
can make great progress in his physique or
fitness regardless of whether he was the
“90lb weakling.”
It just requires effort. I try to get people to
have a good “workout” ethic, and that is
more mental than physical. When you go in
the gym ideally you should have a goal, and
be focused on working hard to achieve it.
Here are some common signs and see if
you are the “real deal” or “slacker” - but
know it is very easy to go from one to the
other.
What do you do on the treadmill?Often times I see people holding on to the
handrails. (Course this goes for the
Stairmasters as well) If you have a genuine
balance/physical disability, this is acceptable.
If not, stop it immediately. Holding on to the
handrails not only lowers
your calorie burning (you
are working less hard), but
also reduces the cardio
benefit.
People use cardio equip-
ment for two reasons -
weight loss or cardiovas-
cular improvement.
Holding on reduces both.
Also do you ever check
your heart rate? This can
be done with either a store
bought monitor or check-
ing your pulse with your finger. For most
people if you are not doing a minimum of
120-beats a minute, you are not working out
hard enough for maximal benefit.
How is your form on the weights?There are too many exercises and tech-
niques to go through here, but the bottom line
is: Do you control the weights or do they
control you? If you do a bench, do you have
to arch your back and butt off the bench to
finish a rep? Is so, that is not the proper form.
Building strength is something anyone can
do, however you will not improve with bad
form. Most of the people I see swinging and
thrusting look the same and never get
stronger.
Lower your weights to a level that allows
the none moving limbs to remain still. Your
strength will improve and you’ll be less like-
ly to injure yourself. For an added benefit, I
challenge you to lower and raise the weights
with a five-second tempo. It is very hard to
cheat and your muscles will be thoroughly
worked with less weight.
Audrey Harman
Contributing
Writer
ChrisBalda
Contributing
Writer
continued on next page
continued on page 20
HIGH SCHOOL REPORT
KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS FEBRUARY 2009 19
By BILLALTHAUS, Contributing Writer
Wisner, Moore leading Blue SpringsG reg Wisner and Drew Moore are two
unexpected stars on the biggest surprise
among boys prep basketball teams in the
metro area.
The guard duo is a big reason the Blue
Springs basketball team is off to a winning
start, although many people believed this
would be a rebuilding year for coach
Frank Wheeler.
The year began with a bang, thanks to the
Wildcats talented duo.
“I’m sure they’ll never forget the first
game and neither will I,” Wheeler said.
“We saw hints of what those two guys could
do last year, but they have really turned it up
a notch and are each having a great season.”
In what could turn out to be the most dra-
matic win of the season for the upstart
Wildcats, Moore hit a trey at the buzzer to
send the season opener against Truman
into overtime.
Wisner, with defenders draped all over
him, let a very long 3-point shot fly and it hit
nothing but net as the Wildcats downed the
Patriots 66-65.
At the time, it was heralded as the biggest
upset of the young season. But this Wildcat
team is much, much better than anyone
thought before the season got underway.
“Just look at our team, I can see why peo-
ple didn’t think we were going to be that
good,” said Moore, who stands 5-foot-8.
“We’re not the most
intimidating team in
the area. But we’re
going to do all the lit-
tle things to win
games. And no team
is going to work
harder than we are.”
Wisner, who is list-
ed at 6-feet, nodded
in agreement.
“I have a bet with
(2008 graduate and
former Wildcat
guard) Bret Schwartz
that our team is going
to win more games
than his team did last
year,” Wisner said, grinning.
“It’s looking pretty good right now. They
were 10-15.
“Before the season started, we didn’t know
what to expect. But winning against Truman
like we did got us a lot of confidence, and
we’ve just built on that.”
Wisner and Moore have become the
Wildcats’ go-to players while building the
winning record.
“They’re two of the better guards we faced
this year,” Truman
coach Billy Guinnee
said. “Blue Springs is
going to surprise some
people this year.
Frank’s such a good
coach and his kids
play hard - and those
two guards can shoot.”
Wisner and Moore
came up with another
big effort in a 68-55
victory over Lee’s
Summit. Moore scored
24 of his game-high
28 points in the sec-
ond half and Wisner
added 10.
“They’re capable of scoring 20 or more
points a game,” Wheeler said, “but we don’t
need them to score that many points. They’re
averaging about 12 to 14 points a game, play-
ing great defense and Drew does a great job
as our point guard.
“If someone is open, they better be ready
to get the ball, because he’s going to find
them. And the fact that he can score is just an
added bonus.”
Both are goal setters and their goals have a
similar ring.
“I want this team to do better than last
year’s team, and I want to win a district
game,” Wisner said. “I like to set realistic
goals, and I think we can accomplish each
one of those goals.”
Said Moore: “It would be huge to go to
state, and the way we’re playing now, who
knows. But I want to have a winning season
and win a district game. Everything else can
kind of take care of itself.”
Bill Althaus is a sports writer/columnist forThe Examiner. You can read his work onlineat www.examiner.net.
even better particularly if you are exercising.
Water is essential to life. A person can sur-
vive without water for at most three days,
making water the most important nutrient.
Some experts say approximately 70 percent
of your body weight is water. The following
are just some of the benefits of drinking
water:
• Water has a filling effect as it fills you
up so you do not overeat.
• The thirst-hunger response - drinking
enough water, you can control artificial
hunger.
• Better workouts - your exercising ses-
sions will improve in length and intensity if
you are getting enough water.
• Water for muscles - 25 percent of fat is
water, whereas muscles are made up of 70
percent water. Water helps you maintain and
add muscle, which in turn burns fat.
• Storage of glycogen - glycogen is a form
of carbohydrates stored in your muscles use
as energy. Each glycogen holds about 2.5 to
3 grams of water. The more fit you are the
more calories you will burn and at a higher
rate--for which you will need more water.
• Spread the amount of water you drink
throughout the day. Try to drink a glass in
the morning, before you exercise, two after.
Drink one before lunch, another between
lunch and dinner, and the last one after din-
ner. Also, try not to drink water too late in
the evening, as it will wake you up during
the night.
Goal No. 7: Eat More Protein.
High protein foods slow the movement of
food from the stomach to the intestine, help-
ing you feel satisfied longer, and uses more
energy to digest than it does to digest fat or
carbohydrates. Protein also helps to regulate
blood sugar levels preventing the quick rise
in blood sugar and hunger-bell-ringing fall
that occurs after eating a carbohydrate like
bread, pasta or a baked potato. Try to include
two to four delicious Protein Muffin Bars.
They are very healthy, gluten free, easy to
take with you and much tastier than a
chicken breast.
Goal No. 8: Exercise Regularly.
Regular exercise has been associated with
more health benefits than anything else
known to man. Studies show that it reduces
the risk of some cancers, increases longevity,
helps achieve and maintain weight loss,
enhances mood, lowers blood pressure and
even improves arthritis. Exercise keeps you
healthy, both mentally and physically, and
makes you look and feel better.
Goal No. 9: Take Juice Plus.
Juice Plus is whole food based and is a
perfect balance of 17 fruits, vegetables, and
grains scientifically proven 100 percent
bioavailability. Juice Plus is the most inde-
pendently researched vitamin supplement in
the world. Since making Juice Plus my daily
habit in 2006, I have been able to stop taking
five prescription medications that were cost-
ing me nearly $120 per month with my co-
pay. I have never felt better. For $1.50 a day
per person, Juice Plus is an extremely cost
effective way for my family and me to get
our daily nutrients. To get the same nutrition-
al value in one daily dose, it would cost more
than $8 per day per person.
By incorporating these goals into your
lifestyle, you will see results and find it easier
to keep your commitment to yourself to
achieve a healthier you throughout your life,
not just 2009.
Audrey Harman is a Nutrition Consultantand can be reached 913707-4717 or atwww.NutritionByAudrey.com.
Resolutions - continued from page 18
EVENT CALENDAR
20 FEBRUARY 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
Over the last couple months a lot
has been developing for the
H.O.R.S.E. - N - AROUND events
which will be occurring in upcoming
months in Kansas City.
What is H.O.R.S.E. - N - AROUND, you
ask? It is the ultimate basketball H.O.R.S.E
challenge which will involve amateur play-
ers plus celebrities from sports and enter-
tainment.
H.O.R.S.E is is a game of one upman-
ship, where creative, fun and sometime
unbelievable shots are used to eliminate the
competition from play. Very soon
H.O.R.S.E competitions will be popping up
all around Kansas City. Currently, select
high schools in the metro area are setting
up their competitions and will be announc-
ing the events to students and parents. Also,
the Jewish Community Center will have a
special event/competition in May.
These regional competitions eventually
leading to one final event where Kansas
City’s best H.O.R.S.E. player will have a
chance to win $10,000 by playing David
Kalb, the man who beat Lebron James in
this competition twice in September, 2008.
“Anyone can participate in H.O.R.S.E.
That’s what makes it fun,” says Keith
Zimmerman of Double Dog Sports &
Entertainment, the company bringing
H.O.R.S.E. - N - AROUND to Kansas City.
“In addition to the final event where one
lucky Kansas Citian plays against David
(Kalb), we’ll also have celebrity matches
for the crowds to enjoy,” says Zimmerman.
One of the celebrities on hand will be
Cylk Cozart from the movie “White Men
Can’t Jump.” In addition, pro sports and
collegiate legends, newspaper, radio and
television personalities will also participate
in celebrity matches. KPRS and WHB
radio will each put on specific competi-
tions, crowning a winner to go on to the
celebrity event.
Zimmerman along with Cozart and
NBA great Oscar Robertson will be at
the NBA All-Star weekend in Phoenix in
February to announce the KC launch of
H.O.R.S.E. - N - AROUND.
UPCOMING EVENTSFebruary 6 2009 WIN for KC Women’s Sports Awards Celebration, SOLD OUTFebruary 14 Love 2 Run 4 Mile Run , Downtown Airport Kansas City, MOFebruary 21 Miles for Matt, Eagle Glen School, Raymore, MOFebruary 23 Girls on the Run of Johnson County, Spring Season, Johnson County, KSFebruary 26 NAIA-KC Sports Commission Social, NAIA Headquarters Kansas City,MOFebruary 28 Firehouse Texas Hold’em Tournament Sharks Shawnee Mission, KSMarch 5-8 MIAA Men’s & Women’s Basketball Tournaments,
Municipal Auditorium, Kansas City, MO
Do you have a plan?Again I don’t think everyone has to look
like a male model or be obsessed with their
bodies, but do you know what workout you’re
doing before you hit the gym? If not-why?
That’s like saying “I want to save and
invest, so I can retire at 50” and not having
any stated means to get there. Even the basic
goal of “getting in shape” requires a coherent
plan. NOT wondering in and going “uhhh,
let’s do chest today,” and doing a mishmash
of exercises. I would start by defining a goal
and coming up with a plan and timeframe.
If you have the funds check with a trainer,
if not look up routines in magazines or online.
Bodybuilding.com is an excellent resource for
all fitness enthusiasts.
Does your “fitness” leave the gym?This is the final and probably the biggest
culprit. I’d say this includes everything from
nutrition to vacations. If you’re in the gym,
that’s theoretically one-to-two hours a day.
There are 24 in a day and 168 in a week, so a
lot can happen. Putting a great effort in the
gym and then having a couple of beers and
fried chicken daily makes no sense. Or I’d say
don’t expect a lot.
Also when you go out of town or when you
get busy do you still exercise? Fitness is a
lifestyle and mindset, so to workout haphaz-
ardly or not have your eating go along with
your workouts is not getting the whole pic-
ture. It just requires follow through outside
the gym. So look at your level of commitment
to fitness. Is it kind of a “C-minus”? Make it
an “A” with just a little more thought.
Chris Balda is a USA Weightlifting coach,National Strength and ConditioningAssociation Trainer and owner of FixXprt, afitness and training consulting business. Hecan be reached at (913) 244-0287 or by emailat [email protected].
“Real deal” - continued from page 18
H.O.R.S.E. - N - AroundUPDATE
KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS FEBRUARY 2009 21
One-on-one with Royals’GM Dayton MooreBy ALAN ESKEW, Editor
Since the Kansas City Royals finished 75-87last season and escaped the AmericanLeague Central basement for the first time
since 2003, general manager Dayton Moore hasbeen extremely busy, trying to improve the teamfor 2009.
Moore acquired outfielder Coco Crisp and firstbaseman-designated hitter Mike Jacobs intrades. He signed free agent pitchers KyleFarnsworth, Doug Waechter and HoracioRamirez and utility player Willie Bloomquist.
Moore, also, signed right-hander Zack Greinketo a four-year contract, which runs through the2112 season and keeps him off the free agentmarket for two years.
Moore sat down with Kansas City Sports andFitness for an exclusive interview just before theclub departed for spring training in Surprise, Ariz.
Q: What were your off-season objectives andwere they accomplished?
Moore: “We had some very clear definedgoals this off-season. We wanted to add a centerfielder, who could potentially hit in our leadoffspot. We were able to do that in adding Coco.That was important. The other aspect of that,we’re able to put David DeJesus in left field,which has strengthened out outfield defense andoverall team speed.
“We wanted to acquire a power hitter to hit inthe middle of our lineup, anywhere 4-5 or 6,wherever Trey decides. We were able to do thatwith Mike Jacobs.”
“We wanted to add a power arm in thebullpen. Kyle Farnsworth, in our mind, was the best power arm on the market. His fastballeliminates a lot of the offensive lineup on anygiven night.
“We acquired Willie Bloomquist, who is some-body we felt has great leadership ability and helpblend the talents of our 25-man roster throughhis attitude and his expectations that he brings tothe game of baseball.
“Doug Waechter is somebody we wanted. Our scouts felt like he’s got a chance to be aquality Major League reliever. He just transi-tioned into the relief role for the first time lastyear after being a starter his whole career. Right-handers hit .216 off him. He’s a tremen-dous make-up guy.”
“Horacio Ramirez can give us some depth inthe rotation. We’re confident we’ve improved ourbaseball team.”
Q: You dealt two relievers, Leo Nunez andRamon Ramirez, for two everyday players inJacobs and Crisp. How will they improve theoffense?
Moore: “Wetraded two veryproductive majorleague reliefpitchers that I know are goingto go on andhave very goodcareers. At thesame time, wewere in a positionwhere we neededto acquire someeveryday talent.
“You saw the(bad) streaks wewent though lastyear. It was predi-cated on twothings. One, ourstarting pitchingstruggled at thattime and we didn’t have enough offense to bailour starting pitching out. So we felt we needed toadd some offense. Getting Coco and MikeJacobs for a combined $9 million, two everydayplayers, is almost unheard of in this market. Wewere fortunate to do those deals.”
Q: Bloomquist has played every position butpitcher and catcher, but will he enter spring train-ing with a chance to earn the starting secondbaseman job?
Moore: “Yeah, he will. He’s obviously a veryversatile player. We feel his best position is sec-ond base. He’s played some short, played third.He can play center field very well, all three out-field positions.
“He’ll get an opportunity to win a job. And I know Trey (Hillman, manager) will like his styleof play. I think he’ll be somebody that’s going tosurprise some people. He’s never really beengiven an opportunity to play everyday. He’s beenon some very talented teams and there havebeen some good players ahead of him. The rea-son he’s played a lot of positions is because themanager wants him in the lineup. He’s a goodenough athlete to do it.”
Q: Alberto Callaspo was your primary secondbaseman at the end of last season after MarkGrudzielanek suffered an ankle injury. Callaspo,
however, hasbeen arrested thepast two years foroff-the-field inci-dents with theRoyals andDiamondbacks.How much of aconcern is that for you?
Moore: “Pasthistory can be apredictor of thefuture. That beingsaid, Alberto wentthrough the nec-essary things heneeded to do totransition backonto our baseballteam. We’ve gotto expect goodthings to happen
with him as he manages his life. We all experi-ence different things in our life. We all make mis-takes. We all know that Alberto made a mistake.He’s recognized that. He’s been accountable to itand taken responsibility. We’re just looking for-ward to moving on.”
Q: Will the rotation, outside the possible addition of left-hander Ramirez, be the same aslast year?
Moore: “You look at options we have in camp,it is pretty be safe to say our starting rotation willby very similar to what it was.”
Q: Is that rotation good enough to contend fora playoff spot in 2009?
Moore: “Certainly Gil Meche and ZackGreinke have proved they can be dominantpitchers in our league. I think they both finished
fifth in the American League in strikeouts. Theykeep getting better. Kyle Davies emerged. BrianBannister has been somebody who has provedhe can pitch quality innings. Luke Hochevar isemerging. Horacio Ramirez has had some suc-cess in the past. The last couple of years throughinjuries and what have you, he hasn’t really per-formed that well, but we think we will.”
Q: The Royals finished last year by going 18-8 in September. Was that a glimpse into thefuture on what the team could be in 2009?
Moore: “I hope so. You’ve got to believe what you see. At the same time, expect guys tocontinue to get better. Eighteen wins in a monthis a great accomplishment. We’ve got to continueto build on those types of accomplishments andjust play consistent baseball.”
Q: On the flip side, the Royals had a horribleAugust, losing 18 of 21 in one stretch.
Moore: “It was. That’s the thing we’ve got toavoid those bad streaks. Some nights you’restarting pitching - Zack, Gil, Kyle, whoever it isgoing to be - is going to have a bad night.Somebody needs to pick it up. Someone needsto hit a big three-run homer or steal a base to putus in a position to win a game.”
“I believe in looking at our rosters this is themost balanced team we have on the field in myopinion since 1994 with our position players, theversatility there, and how players are supposedto profile. Also, with the depth and the versatilityand the pitching, we haven’t had a legit closersince (Jeff) Montgomery. We have that now(Joakim Soria). We’ve got two (dominant) start-ing pitchers and a couple of other guys we thinkcan emerge to be really good.”
Q: So one can expect the Royals to improveon last year’s record?
Moore: “I felt like our team underachieved lastyear. I think we’re continuing to get better. We’vejust to commit to that process of keep improving,keep improving. Someday we’ll be good.”
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22 FEBRUARY 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS
Bloomquist looking for chance to start with RoyalsBy ALAN ESKEW, Editor
W illie Bloomquist is a career .263 hitterwith six home runs, 98 RBIs and 191runs. He has never had more than 251
at-bats in a season or played in more 102games. He had one extra-base hit - a double - in 2008.
Bloomquist, however, will enter spring trainingas a candidate to be the Kansas City Royalsstarting second baseman. After spending six-plusyears as a Seattle Mariners utility, playing everyposition but pitcher and catcher, Bloomquistsigned a two-year $3 million contract with theRoyals with an opportunity to shed the utility tagand become an everyday player with a positionto call his own.
“It ‘s a big reason I signed with the Royals, for an opportunity to do more than I’ve done inthe past,” Bloomquist said. “I saw that opportuni-ty with a chance to possibly evolve into maybe a starter and win a job. Talking with Trey(Hillman, manager) and Dayton (Moore, generalmanager), they said basically they are not goingto put any limitations on me, which is moreopportunity that I’ve ever had in the past. Thatwas one of the many reasons this place wasawfully enticing.
“I made it up as a utility guy and got stuck inthat - got that that label put on me, but my goalsare not to be abackup guy. Iwould hope toget a chance toplay and hope-fully be astarter.”
Bloomquist,who went toSouth KitsapHigh School inPort Orchard,Washington,was drafted inthe eight roundby the Marinersin 1996, butopted to go toArizona State.The Marinersdrafted himagain in 1999 inthe third roundand he signed.
They drafted me as a shortstop and movedme right to second base right away,” Bloomquist
said. “I played there right up to Triple-A and thenwe had Bret Boone in his glory years, hitting 30-
35 homers a year.We had him at sec-ond, Carlos Guillenat short and JeffCirillo at third. Sothey basically said,you weren’t going tocrack any of thosespots anytime soon,so if you want tomake it to the bigleagues you’re goingto have to be able toplay all of them andbe versatile. I saidOK, that’s fine withme as long as I canget there.”
Bloomquist, also,provides the Royalswith some speed,something they havelacked. With thedeparture of Joey
Gathright, who led the Royals with 21 stolenbases in 25 attempts last year, to the ChicagoCubs, Bloomquist could fill that void. He swiped14 bases in 17 attempts last year.
“I wouldn’t say I’m a burner by any means, butI like to pride myself in being a smart base run-ner and getting a good jump and stealing a basewhen it counts, as opposed to pad my numberswith gaudy stats with stolen bases,” Bloomquist
said. “When it matters is when I like to go andlike to steal bases. I’m above average speed. I take pride in running the bases well. That to me,that’s a game within a game. Games can be wonor lost on good base running.”
Bloomquist said being able to play severalpositions has been both a blessing and a cursethroughout his career.
“That’s kind of what I’ve been told in Seattle,”he said. “That’s it my best asset. It is also thebiggest thing going against me, too. The fact - itis great I can do all those things, but when thereis a chance to settle down and play one position,they didn’t really like to do it because they need-ed someone to play everywhere. It’s kind of adouble-edged sword of sorts.
“It’s a role I don’t mind doing, but I have higheraspirations and expectations of myself thanbeing a backup.”
He will get chance to earn the second basejob, but there will be competition. AlbertoCallaspo, who hit .305 last season, finished theseason starting at second after an injury to MarkGrudzielanek, who filed for free agency andwon’t be returning. Also, the Royals are going togive Mark Teahen an opportunity to play there.
Bloomquist, however, know this is a chancehe never had in Seattle, to compete for a starting job.
“I’m very excited about this season,” Bloom-quist said. “I haven’t been this excited to report tocamp in a long time just knowing the situationand opportunity that is going to be presented.For me, it gives me a little bit of extra motivation,so I am excited.”
Seven Questions is a regular segment on the “Behindthe Stats” radio show. “Behind the Stats” hosts Matt Fulks and guest hostDave Stewart from Metro Sports caught up with former Kansas City Royal Jamie Quirk.1. My hero growing up was...?Jamie Quirk: Mickey Mantle, without a doubt.2. If not for baseball or football (since you were quitea quarterback), I would’ve been a...?JQ: I probably would’ve gone into education as ateacher and maybe a coach.3. My greatest day in baseball was....?JQ: The 1990 World Series with Oakland, we weredown 3 games to 0 against Cincinnati, and our man-ager, Tony LaRussa, called me and said I was startingin Game 4. I hadn’t played in the 1980 World Seriesor the ‘85 Series with the Royals, so that moment in1990 was special.4. My favorite vacation spot is...?JQ: Probably either Hawaii or Cabo San Lucas, where Ican wear T-shirts and flip flops. I guess if I want to bea gentleman, Hawaii, but if I want to let my hair downand be a little more laid back, Cabo.5. My favorite movie of all-time is...?JQ: Cool Hand Luke.
6. My message to parents of young athletes is...?JQ: Let your kid play as many sports as he wants.Don’t try to say he’s going to be the next George Brett,so he’s going to play baseball all 12 months andwe’re going to work on his swing every day. Weencouraged our boys to play everything. It’ll show ifhe’s good in one sport over another.7. The one person in history that I’d like to meet...?JQ: Joe Namath. As a young quarterback, I likedwatching him on and off the field. I would’ve tradedplaces with him for one day.
“Behind the Stats,” hosted by Matt Fulks (left) andDave O’Hara, is recorded each week from Saints on9720 Quivira in Lenexa.
Visit www.BehindTheStatsRadio.com for more information.
7 Questions with Jamie QuirkOn KCXL 1140 AM and KCTO 1160 AM
Friday and Saturday evenings from 6-10 pmand on Sundays from 12-9 pm
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KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS FEBRUARY 2009 23
New faces from other places
knee injury in her senior year. There was a tough transition
for her to get back to 100 percent. She is playing a more
physical game. She understands the speed of the game.
“More than anything, she’s grown in her willingness
to be physical. She continues to be a player we will look
to a great deal for growth. She has hit some big-time
threes. She has the ability to get to the rim. She’s a very
important cog. If we can get eight points out of her
18 minutes, it changes the complexion of our basketball
team completely.”
Spani, a native of Lee’s Summit, also continues another
trend for the Wildcats. The roster is covered with
Midwestern players. There are six players from Kansas,
two from Missouri and one each from Oklahoma and
Minnesota. Only freshmen Jalana Childs of Orlando, Fla.,
and Branshea Brown of Walterboro, S.C., are from outside
the Midwest.
“The persona of Kansas State, the way we like to play,
the team-oriented disposition, the selflessness, the work-
ethic, the toughness, those are all inherent values of people
who grow up in the Midwest,” Patterson said. “It’s a very
blue-collar part of the country. There’s not a lot of room
for selfishness and pride. That’s what we like to build the
program around at Kansas State.
“You certainly can’t create those traits. They’re home-
grown and instilled early in life. They have watched their
parents and grandparents work hard. We have been very
fortunate to find good young people who are willing to
give it up and work hard together to achieve success.”
That theory sounds good, and a bit of a cop-out when
you don’t have any stars. But it’s the same thing Patterson
said even when she had stars. The Wildcats had first team
All-Americans in back-to-back seasons with Nicole Ohlde
(2004) and Kendra Wecker (2005). The Wildcats went to
the NCAA tournament for four straight years behind
Ohlde (Clay Center, Kan.), Wecker (Marysville, Kan.),
Laurie Koehn (Hesston, Kan.) and Megan Mahoney
(Sturgis, S.D.).
This year’s team is preparing to return to the NCAA
tournament for the second straight season, quite an
improvement from a last place finish in 2006-07.
“It’s been amazing to watch this group, because they
have been so tough,” Patterson said.
“To think of what they were holding onto their shoul-
ders as freshmen, and then, as juniors, to be the first team
in K-State history to win an outright Big 12 championship,
it’s been amazing. This was in a year when our league had
the top RPI in the country. It wasn’t a back-door year in
our league. It was the strongest our league has ever been.
“I think this group has an opportunity to contend for
another Big 12 championship. A lot of things have to go
well, but I wouldn’t bet against them.”
2008 STATS BA HR RBI OBP SLG
.247 32 93 .299 .514 Birth Date: October 30, 1980 Birth Place: Chula Vista, CA Age: 28 Weight: 215 lbs. Height: 6-3 Bats: Left Throws: Right Experience: 3 years
2008 STATS ERA IP SO W L 4.48 60.1 61 2 3 Birth Date: April 14, 1976 Birth Place: Wichita, KS Age: 32 Weight: 235 lbs. Height: 6-4 Bats: Right Throws: Right Experience: 9 years
2008 STATS ERA IP SO W L 4.35 37.1 13 1 4 Birth Date: Nov. 24, 1979 Birth Place: Carson, CA Age: 29 Weight: 210 lbs. Height: 6-1 Bats: Left Throws: Left Experience: 5 years
2008 STATS BA HR RBI OBP SLG
.283 7 41 .344 .407 Birth Date: November 1, 1979 Birth Place: Los Angeles, CA Age: 29 Weight: 180 lbs. Height: 6-0 Bats: Both Throws: Right Experience: 6 years
PITCHER PITCHER
2008 STATS ERA IP SO W L 3.69 63.1 46 4 2 Birth Date: Jan. 28, 1981 Birth Place: St. Petersburg, FL Age: 27 Weight: 215 lbs. Height: 6-4 Bats: Right Throws: Right Experience: 4 years
PITCHER
INFIELD
OUTFIELD
Lady Wildcats - continued from page 14