Tuesday, February 27, 2007

NASCAR chat

So, I was watching the Auto Club 500 on Sunday, and I also had ESPN.com's race cast up where UT-grad Tim Cowlishaw -- formerly of the Dallas Morning News -- was leading a chat.

I couldn't think of any good questions, but I wanted to say hi from the Daily Texan, and earlier in the day I'd asked one of my co-workers, Eric Ransom, a question concerning Cowlishaw. So I took advantage of the unexpected opportunity, and asked my question.

Ryan Killian (Austin, TX): So, I'm sittin' here in the Daily Texan
office and wondering, when'd you get so into NASCAR?

TIM COWLISHAW: Good to hear from the Daily Texan, the school newspaper
of my alma mater. Late getting into it. Went to Daytona in 2000, been
into it ever since. Look forward to seeing Kevin Durant in person
Wednesday night. And, of course, Fourth Street after.

So there you have it, Cowlishaw's been doing NASCAR for a little while now. He'll be here today.

Too bad I'll be in College Station for Jody Conradt's first attempt a win 900. The Aggies are 15-0 in Reed Arena this season, but Texas beat them 64-45 earlier in the year and is coming off a win.
Could be a good and historic game.

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Friday, February 23, 2007

Take Yourself Out to the Ballgame

By Ryan Killian


Pop out the Cracker Jacks.

The baseball team is back at UFCU Disch-Falk Field, and the men's basketball team has only got one home game left. Time to take advantage of this weather and go out to a baseball game.

You won't care if you ever get back.

Texas is a paltry 7-5 right now, but they recently took two of three from Stanford, and they just walloped a Texas State squad that beat Rice earlier this season.

After starting the season slower than molasses uphill, Texas seems to be hitting their stride. Kyle Russell and Bradley Suttle are hitting .421 and .400 respectively, and four other starters are hitting at a .340 clip or better. Augie Garrido's Longhorns are just a consistent pitching staff away from being the team they're supposed to be.

But after their first eight home games were played at Dell Diamond, the team is still attracting less notice

than Kevin Durant's last layup.

The attendance at games in Round Rock reflected how hard it is for students to fit an hour-long, round-trip drive to the ballpark into their schedules.

With the exception of the Stanford series, less than 2,000 people went out to most of the ball games. Against UT-Pan American, there was barely a crowd to go out to - only 584 people saw the 19-0 licking the Longhorns laid down.

It was a shame.

But things just got a lot more convenient. "The Disch" is little more than a long Russell home run away from campus. Even he's glad to be done with Round Rock.

"We don't have to drive 30 minutes to be at a place we can call home," Russell said. "We can just drive right down the road."

And so can fans.

Besides, after weeks of ugly, basketball weather, the temperatures have risen and being outside is finally bearable again - even enjoyable.

Taking in a ballgame at Disch-Falk won't be without its aggravations though. In order to watch the country's No. 13 team at work, fans will have to suffer through temporary concession, box office and - worst of all - restroom facilities.

But all they need to root for the home team are bleachers, and Disch-Falk has them and a berm to boot.

As renovations continue, soon the field's AstroTurf - a source of anguish for many opposing defenders - will be replaced by the more modern field turf. Texas will lose a key ingredient that helps give them one of the biggest homefield advantages in the sport.

Time is running out to see a Texas game during this transitive period, but 20 of Texas' next 23 games are in Austin, so there's no excuse.

Buy yourself some peanuts and get out there.

Friday, February 16, 2007

SI Cover Curse?

Kevin Durant has earned himself a Sports Illustrated cover, and it comes out today.

Jinx?

Dating back to 1954 when the Milwaukee Braves' Eddie Matthews graced the magazine's first issue - and injured his hand a week later - the superstition has percolated that a stint of bad luck came with a spot on the cover. In the '50s alone, one athlete was killed and another paralyzed from the neck down while their cover issues were still on the news racks.

But take heart. Though Texas athletes have felt the curse, it's been only in the form of a loss. In 1970 and 1977 undefeated Texas teams lost their next games, and in 1998, after Ricky Williams made a cover appearance, the Longhorns lost to Texas Tech. If history holds, a loss to Baylor on Saturday is the worst we can expect. OK, maybe he'll fail to notch a double-double and be outscored by an injured Aaron Bruce too.

Point is, jinx schminx.

Look at Vince Young. All he did while on the cover of Sports Illustrated was win Texas a national title and lift his draft status somewhere just above the stratosphere.

T.J. Ford and Cat Osterman weren't slowed by their joint appearance on a cover in 2002, but then they were there in the off-season.

Chris Simms was also on that cover.

Five days later, the Longhorns fell 35-24 to the Sooners. Simms was sacked four times, and he threw three interceptions.

All of a sudden, that game against Baylor doesn't look so easy. They are on the road; Bruce is an All-Big 12 honorable mention.

But he's also from Horsham, Victoria, Australia.

Nevermind.

Besides, that was Chris Simm's second cover appearance. In his first, he was being leveled by Oklahoma's Jimmy Wilkerson. It wasn't the covers getting to him. It was the Sooners.

Texas' history of overcoming any perceived jinx is long. Running back Jimmy Saxton made a cover appearance in 1961 and finished a close third in the year's Heisman race. Running back/punter Ernie Koy was featured after Texas upset No. 1 Alabama in 1965, and he began a successful NFL career that same year. James Street parlayed his appearance into a national championship in 1969.

Durant will join their company soon and surpass them all eventually. There's nothing to worry about.

Then again, after T.J. Ford found himself on the cover before 2003's Final Four, he turned in one of the least remarkable performances of his career. Among Texas players, he finished fourth in points - tied with Brian Boddicker.

Did I mention the 6-foot-3-inch, 190-pound Bruce led NCAA freshmen in scoring his rookie season and was labeled a "Diaper Dandy" by Dick Vitale?

Texas hasn't got a prayer.

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Thursday, February 01, 2007

Da Bears

By Ryan Killian
Daily Texan Columnist

While we may never know if a Ditka-driven bus full of Da Bears could win the Indy 500, Sunday we’ll learn that Lovie Smith’s squad can win the Super Bowl.

Sure, Rex Grossman is about as reliable as my 1990 4-Runner – which is currently languishing in a Houston garage – but you’ve got to look at this team’s body of work. With that wreck, Rex, they’ve won the NFC handily, and they’re pitted against a proven postseason failure in Peyton Manning.

This go-round they’ve somehow survived Manning’s struggles, but the future Hall-of-Famer’s only thrown one touchdown pass in three games while racking up three interceptions. Just because the Colts are finally winning in the playoffs doesn’t mean Manning’s come around.

Not by a long shot, and the Bears defense looked as aggressive an opportunistic as ever last week. Brian Urlacher’s mouth is probably already watering at the idea of tanning some horsehide.

While the Colt’s have the Rex-factor on their side, Devin Hester is the obvious X-factor. The rookie has gained 12.8 yards per punt return and 26.4 yards per kick return. Along the way, he’s scored five return touchdowns and gotten serious consideration for Rookie of the Year honors that aren’t typically bestowed upon special teams players.

While Hester’s accomplishments have earned him some well-deserved attention, two other contributors have gone largely unnoticed.

They make up what we’ll call the Tex-factor.

Cedric Benson has provided the Bears with a second prong for their running attack by averaging 4.1 yards per carry. Last week, he scored a touchdown on a 12-yard rush en route to the 39-14 rout of the Saints. Meanwhile, Vasher contributed an interception, a fumble recovery and five tackles to the cause.

Did I mention they’re from Texas?

Former Longhorns are a boon to any roster and the unfortunate Colts are missing out. The closest they come is Texas Tech, and as we learned this season, even a dynamic Tech team is no match for a shaky Texas.

With the struggles NFC teams have had this year, all any AFC team had to do to be the favorite in the Super Bowl was get there. Well, by the skin of their teeth, the Colts got there, and now they’re facing a quarterback who has a permanent deer-in-the-headlights expression plastered to his face.

But Grossman isn’t they key, Manning is. When he fails the Colts will fall, and Da Bears will be Super Bowl Champions.

Texas women make mark in athletics; it's time to pay attention

By Ryan Killian

If the Texas women's basketball team beats No. 9 Oklahoma and no one shows up to witness it, did they really pull off the upset?

If the Texas women's track and field team wins a national title and no one takes notice, are they really champions?

Of course, but as absurd as my questions are, the feeling remains that women's athletics are being unjustly neglected.

Not only is it about time they get recognition for their accomplishments, it's about time people on campus recognize the number of prestigious women's programs at The University of Texas.

While the women's basketball team has struggled this year, they defeated the Big 12's toughest team and one of the country's best players Wednesday night in a 67-62 game that didn't feel that close. They only recently dropped out of the rankings, and could find themselves back among the Top 25 soon. Meanwhile, head coach Jody Conradt is a measly three triumphs away from her 900th win.

Last year, the women's track and field team won the NCAA Indoor National Championship and are returning All-American Destinee Hooker this season. Pre-season rankings came out Tuesday, and the Longhorns sit ranked No. 10.

The softball team is also about to start a new year, and with hitting guru Corrie Hill in the dugout for her second year, the Longhorns' offensive numbers should only improve. They're ranked No. 17 in the USA Today/ NFCA Preseason poll, and eight of their regular-season games are going to be on TV. Even if you can't make it out to the ballpark, you won't have any excuses for not catching a game or two.

Just don't compare it to baseball. Softball's a different sport with different tactical and strategic approaches. These girls could teach Ichiro a thing or two about slash bunting.

The Texas women's swimmers are perennial winners, and even with a new coach calling the shots, they're going about business as usual. Currently ranked No. 12, they knocked off No. 8 SMU earlier in the month. In February, they'll participate in the Big 12 Championships. All they've done there is win for the last eight years.

That's a lot of conference titles - if you're into that kind of thing.

The women's tennis team is also ranked this year at No. 20 and off to a perfect 2-0 start after beating Iowa State 7-0 and Kansas 6-1.

When the History Channel's show "Modern Marvels" chose to feature the most basic of all sporting goods, - the ball - they came to Penick-Allison Tennis Center to speak with Texas coach Patty Fendick-McCain and senior Petra Dizdar about the tennis ball.

With soccer and volleyball out of season, it's OK to overlook them - for now.

But both have had success that most Texas men's teams would be envious of.

The soccer program notched a conference title of their own last season and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA postseason tournament. Their season only ended when they fell to the relentless winning machine that is Portland in the third round.

The volleyball team's success closely mirrored that of their comrades on the pitch. While they finished third in the conference, they advanced to the third round of the NCAA tournament before falling in the semifinals.

Last night's game was a perfect example of what Texas fans are missing out on. Listed attendance was 5,220 and that was generous. Softball players, including Megan Willis and Kelly Melone were on hand, showing their support for their fellow female athletes. But the fact that they were handing out free tickets to their games crystallizes my point.

They're relying on themselves and each other for a little deserved publicity.

UnderArmour announced Tuesday that they'd inked former Longhorn Cat Osterman to an endorsement deal. If one of the most popular sporting apparel companies in the country can recognize a Texas pitcher, students should appreciate their own classmates' successes.
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