Beaker busted for bad behavior

A Beaker basketball player couldn't keep his junk in his drawers on an elevator. And he couldn't be bothered with showing up to court. Well done, Sharon and Self. Link.

Lew tries to hustle Holiday Inn

Sweet Lew Perkins, the ethically challenged hustler captaining the Beaker ship, recently told the Holiday Inn in Lawrence they just weren't important enough to hold the basketball banquet. As Jeffrey Flannigan explains in the Star:

A year ago, the KU basketball team held a post-season banquet with select donors at the Holiday Inn Holidome in Lawrence. This year, after the Jayhawks won it all, KU cancelled that banquet because it figured a much bigger party was in order — such as a parade and a celebration at Allen Fieldhouse.

But, according to reports in Lawrence, the Holiday Inn still wants to collect a $6,400 cancellation bill. And KU officials want Lawrence and the chamber of commerce to help foot the bill, reasoning that the city’s commerce benefited from the thousands of fans who flocked downtown.

Wouldn't expect anything less of ol' 70-30% Lew.

In a surprising show of backbone the Holiday Inn is telling Lew to pay up or face the consequences. Dun, dun, dun.

Stay classy, Lew.

Mourning, grief finally passes

The life of a Missouri Tiger basketball fan has not been too enjoyable for the past five years or so. We've endured so much self-inflicted pain that the only positive feelings we've been able to muster have come when bad things happen to our archenemy, the Kansas Jayhawks.

And, of course, there were so many great moments. Bucknell, Bradley, Roy, Wig's stutter (and wig), Lew's nose, hundred dollar handshakes leading to "Lack of Institutional Control" NCAA probation, etc.

Through it all some fans realized one painfully out of balance truth. It's almost more fun to cheer like hell against Kansas and celebrate its failures than it is to cheer for our Tigers and enjoy their accomplishments. There really is a fine line between love and hate.

Unfortunately everything changed on April 7, 2008.

When used-car salesman Memphis coach John Calipari's squad finished blowing an insurmountable lead in the final minutes, the Jayhawks were crowned National Champions. Unfathomable.

So shocking that for the past month, even as other events have transpired (which are chronicled below) that take attention away from D-League Chalmers' lucky three-pointer and the missed Memphis free throws, it has been difficult to find reason to continue with trivial matters such as blogging about the destruction and humiliation of the Jayhawks. RTC has been dormant for the last month as its moderator comes to grips with the fact that one of the most sacred truths of his adult life, a Kansas basketball choke job in March, has been turned on its ear.

Maybe a stronger blogger than I would have defiantly penned entries in the days after April 7, 2008. Maybe a more rational thinker would have put the whole thing in perspective, turning the page in a timely manner without rehashing over and over again the CDR misses from the line or the Joey Dorsey foul 25-feet from the bucket.

But for me, a Missouri Tiger basketball fan (and, by definition, a Kansas basketball hater), it's been rough. There have been a few things that have gotten me through the past month. And, believe it or not, there is a light at the end of this tunnel I do believe. So while some may see our time away from the blogosphere as cowardice or denial, we prefer the word "healing".

A great tragedy occurred on April 7, 2008. The following events helped us forge ahead and keep going.

1) The Kansas City Royals start hot - Opening the season in Detroit on April 2, the KC nine opened some eyes around baseball by sweeping the high-price Tigers in their own backyard. The Royals returned home after a 4-2 opening road trip and, after an off-day on April 7, 2008, spanked the Yankees in the home opener on April 8. That lessened the sting of the previous evening, if only just a little. After following up with another vic on April 9 Kansas City was helping heal the wounds of KU's win.

2) Politics - Hillary and Barack continue to sling every conceivable insult at each other in an exhausting push for the Democratic Presidential nomination. Everyday from April 7, 2008, until the Pennsylvania primary on April 22 is chalked full of riveting drama for political junkies. Allegations, counter-allegations, personal attacks and outright lies fill the airwaves. This divisiveness (perhaps the most used word in American politics) is perfect for Tiger fans. We got all of the theatre and fulfillment that usually comes from a day on Tigerboard sparring with the Jayhawk fans without having to bow down to the ultimate and inevitable trump card: Championship. And no, RTC does not advocate the use of "36-28" as an acceptable comeback for a basketball argument.

3) Spring Football - Chase Daniel hits Jeremy Maclin for the first touchdown of the Black and Gold Game on April 19. A sight for sore eyes to be sure. Looking to build on last season's success Mizzou seems primed for big things in 2008. This, Tiger fans, is the proper forum for "36-28".

4) The NFL Draft - Kansas City lands Glenn Dorsey? Glenn freakin' Dorsey? Awesome. To add to the good vibes coming out of Chiefs camp Mizzou receiver Will "The Helicopter" Franklin is drafted by KC in the fourth round and zero Kansas players are drafted or signed by the Chiefs. Nice. In addition to the 'Copter several Tigers join NFL teams. The Mizzou football footprint in the NFL should get bigger next year, and the Chiefs should be better (at least younger).

So after enjoying the above non-Kansas national championship related things in the past few weeks we're back. For better or worse. We've grieved the Memphis choke job, put some things in perspective, and are back on the horse, ready to post about baseball and football for a while. Nothing will erase the pain and horror of April 7, 2008. Sometimes you just have to move on.

RTC Exclusive: Wig's press conference

[SCENE: A ROOM WITH A PODIUM IN FRONT WITH GATHERED MEMBERS OF THE PRESS FACING THE FRONT OF THE PODIUM. A GIANT MYTHICAL BIRD IS PAINTED ON THE WALL. ENTER KU MEDIA RELATIONS HACK]

KU Media Relations Hack: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to beautiful Lawrence, Kansas, for the most wonderful half hour of the week, our coach and hero Bill Self will now enlighten us with his five star personality and his down to earth charm. Coach Self is in his fifth season as our leader and even though he's never really accomplished much for us except a couple of conference titles in a watered down league we're not worried at all. Nope, coach Self is the right guy to get us to the promised land even though whenever the calendar flips from February to March every member of the athletics department staff starts to shake uncontrollably and has trouble digesting food. Lew tells us that's because we're so excited for the basketball tournaments upcoming, not because we're about to end the season earlier than our God-given birthright allows. So anyway, our faith is in Bill and Lew and we're just sure that what happened against Bucknell, Bradley and so on and so forth isn't going to happen again. No way. . .(Voice trails off as he faints and passes out, collapsing to the ground).

[LEW PERKINS ENTERS THE ROOM, SNAPS HIS FINGERS AND TWO OTHER STAFF MEMBERS RUN IN, PICK UP THEIR COLLAPSED COLLEAGUE AND EXIT THE ROOM].

Lew Perkins: Ladies and gentlemen, we're sorry for that display of weakness exhibited by our department employee, I beg your pardon, former employee. He is so fired. Of couse, under the rules of employment that I invented when I got to KU, that little piss ant can buy his way back onto our staff by contributing $1,000 to the Williams Fund for Athletics. (Unleashes an evil laugh and starts to exit the room). Coach Self will be out in a few moments my little press pets. (Laugh starts again as Lew exits).

[PRINT MEDIA VIGOROUSLY SCRIBBLE IN THEIR NOTE BOOKS IDEAS FOR THE NEXT DAYS HEADLINE. THE EARLY LEADER IS "Great Lew Perkins shows mercy on weak employee". MEANWHILE, COACH BILL SELF, AKA "THE WIG", ENTERS THE ROOM]

The Wig: Uh, uh, thanks for all of y'all being uh, here today. Any questions.

J. BRADY: Hi coach, J. Brady McCullough, Kansas City Star. Coach, it's been an honor to cover you this season, and I hope I've done a good job in the eyes of KU Nation representing this greatest of all great institutions. My question is a simple one, coach, but it is so hard for me to ask. Here goes: Why'd you go and break my heart by losing to Oklahoma State last Saturday?

The Wig: Uh, obviously we weren't uh, uh, uh, happy with the outcome against Okie State. Uh, Mario and uh, Brandon, uh, just uh, uh, uh, didn't give us enough to win but that's not to say that they're uh,uh, uh, slumping. No I don't think that would be uh, fair to uh, uh, say. [REACHES BEHIND HIS HEAD AND PRESSES DOWN HIS "HAIR"]. But we certainly didn't uh,uh, play our uh,uh,uh, best uh,uh, game I uh,uh,uh, think that's obvious and you've got to uh,uh, give Sean and his uh,uh,uh,uh, staff credit for never uh, quitting and just uh, really playing hard and I just uh,uh, uh, love it down there in uh, Stillwater uh, so much but uh, uh, uh, Lawrence is great, too, and it's just a great great town here in uh, uh, uh, Lawrence. I love it.

JASON KING: Coach, Jason King with Yahoo! Sports. Coach when your team was leaving the court after the game and the fans were telling you guys that you was no good and the fans was makin' fun of your mommas and saying all sorts of stuff that just ain't the kind of thing a Kansas fan or person would say how did that make yourself and your team feel?

The Wig: J-King, my man. Welcome back to uh, uh, uh, God's country. You moved off to the uh, uh, big city you son of a bitch. Get up here and give me a hug.

[JASON LEAPS OUT OF HIS SEAT AND RUSHES TO THE PODIUM. "THE WIG" HUGS HIM WITH ONE ARM AND GIVES HIM A NUGGIE WITH THE OTHER. JASON KING TRIES GIVING "THE WIG" A NUGGIE.]

The Wig: Hey now, J-King. You know nobody touches the uh, uh, uh, (makes quotation marks signs with hands) hair but me and my lady.

Jason Whitlock: Coach, Jason Whitlock, why in the hell do your teams choke so bad every year? You need to quit lettin' them guys relax so much. Have you thought about having Jeff George in as a motivational speaker?

The Wig: Uh, uh, No uh, uh, uh, comment, Jason.

Joe Posnanski: Coach, Joe Posnanski here, it's so inspirational to watch your teams play. The smells, sounds and colors of Allen Fieldhouse never fail to inspire me to write 3,000 words about my iPod mini or the way I'm starting to feel a little older every year or the way I'm losing just a bit of hair and gaining just a bit of weight with every new Late Night with Bill Self. The Royals are great.

The Wig: Uh, uh, me too, uh, uh, Joe.

Mike DeArmond: What in the hell am I doing here? Last thing I remember was polishing off a pitcher at Shiloh and then heading out into the night to stalk the Athena Five. I'm outta here.

[EXITS ROOM.]

The Wig: Uh, uh, we don't need, uh, uh, no Missouri uh, uh, writers in here no way no how.

Dave Armstrong: Wow!

The Wig: You uh, uh, uh, can say uh, uh, uh that uh, uh, again.

Bonnie Bernstein: Coach, what is the likelihood that you will leave Kansas for North Carolina, er, I mean, Oklahoma State?

The Wig: Uh, uh, I don't read blogs. I uh, uh, don't really uh, know. Boone uh,uh, Pickens has uh, uh, uh, a shitload of money. No uh, uh, comment.

Al Wallace and Frank Boal: [SPEAKING OVER EACH OTHER.] We love you coach. You're the best, coach. Live shots at 6 and 10 ruuuule!

The Wig: Uh, uh, uh, fellas lay off the uh, uh, uh, sauce.

[THE ROOM ERUPTS IN LAUGHTER FOLLOWED BY THE REPORTERS STANDING IN APPLAUSE. ONE OF THE CAMERAMEN IN THE REAR OF THE ROOM REACHES FOR A HANDKERCHIEF IN HIS POCKET AND DABS TEARS FROM HIS EYES. PRINT REPORTERS SLAP "THE WIG" ON THE BACK AS HE SLOWLY MOVES FROM ROW TO ROW SHAKING HANDS, GIVING FIST BUMPS AND HUGS TO THE REPORTERS. "THE WIG" KEEPS REPEATING "Don't give up on us yet" AND "We're going to be fine. The team's just peaking." A REPORTER SCREAMS "Thank you, Coach!" AS "THE WIG" EXITS THE ROOM. THE TALKING STOPS, BUT THE ENERGY IS STILL BUZZING AS THE REPORTERS FILE OUT TO CATCH A LAST GLIMPSE OF "THE WIG" BEFORE HE DUCKS INTO THE LOCKERROOM.]

Those Beakers are team players

Above, Mario holds down the rim so his teammate Darnell can try to dunk. Unfortunately for them this tactic is against the rules and dishonest, kind of like wearing a wig.

Wig issues non-denial denial

It wasn't "I'm stayin'", but it is entertaining nevertheless.

Kansas men's basketball coach Bill Self addressed rumors that he might bolt for the Boone Pickens big money at Oklahoma State by issuing a non-denial on Thursday.

"The only thing I know about any of that," OSU grad Self said, "is that people (media) have requested to interview me about it and I haven't (done the interviews). I don't get on any blogs. I don't care what anybody says. I think it's an injustice to their present staff because they deserve every opportunity to do as well as they can possibly do.

The Wig doesn't read blogs. That's disappointing.

Self went on to say "It's not going to happen" when asked about leaving for Stillwater should current coach Sean Sutton be fired. But he didn't say what's not going to happen, leaving open the door to bolt. And one little thing might have kept him from telling his true feelings on the matter: Sean Sutton still has a job there at OSU!

But who really gives any credence to what coaches say about jobs anymore after Nick Saban, Rich Rodriguez, Bob Huggins, and others have professed their love for a place and a job only to bolt.

Luckily for Kansas fans they've never had to give a "flip" about anything like that, right? If The Wig doesn't want to head to OSU he could maybe get the Indiana job.

Lawrence Journal-World: Self on OSU: 'It's not going to happen'.

Star punks Wig

Opened up the K.C. Star to read the sports section this morning and immediately noticed the lead story, "Trouble Brewing". The graphic accompanying the story was hilariously terrible. Normally I like, or at least understand, the Star's "photoillustrations". This one, I just didn't really get. Link.

There was a white guy with a tattoo of a flaming basketball on his upper forearm. A finger was pointing tauntingly at the man, seemingly at the man's tattoo, in fact. Like, 'Hey, moron, why'd you get that tattoo? And once you decided to get that tattoo why'd you get it there.' In response to the finger being pointed at him, Dikembe Mutumbo style, this inked-up individual had his inked-up arm cocked, fist clenched, as if about to throw a punch, presumably at the finger pointing taunter.

To further add to the chaos there is a bar stool tipping over, a beer bottle falling to the ground along with a blue plastic cup. But, luckily for all involved, the beer mug is safely sitting on the table.

Yes, I think we can safely assume this is exactly how bar fights go down. Lesson to be learned from the graphic: do not taunt white men with flaming basketballs tatooed on their arms.

As for the lesson to be learned from the story itself, that's a little tougher.

I started reading assuming that it was going to be another in a long line of hatchet jobs taking shots at Mizzou, Mizzou basketball, Columbia, The Athena Five, Stefhon Hannah and Mike Anderson. For the most part I was right. There was plenty of MU bashing, none of which I feel inclined to repeat in this space.

But there was also a nice reward for those who read to the end of the article. Before we get into that, let me preface by saying I thought this whole story was a complete piece of shit and there was no reason for it being published. Still, that doesn't mean the part about KU wasn't pretty funny.

Late in the article the writer goes "undercover" to a KU nightclub called The Hawk, where the "investigative journalist" saw Darnell Jackson and other Beakers out. Imagine the writer's excitement as he wrote the following:

Self says of-age KU players are allowed to enter bars but are forbidden from entering certain ones. He refused to say which bars are off limits.

“When you recruit guys, you have to trust them to make good decisions,” he says. “They are going to be put in situations to make decisions.”

After the Giddens incident in 2005, Self says players were not allowed to be in bars through that summer. The stabbing intensified rules for KU players, including the implementation of a curfew. Self says players usually are not allowed to be out past 11 p.m. on a weeknight during the season, and “not ever after midnight.”

On this night, midnight was nearly an hour ago.

After Self learned Friday the four KU players at The Hawk were there after midnight, he changed his earlier statement to say players’ curfew Wednesday was 1 a.m. Then he said it was 1:15 a.m. He finally said players had no curfew because the Jayhawks had no game.

“I’m not positive we had one or not,” Self said.

That's pretty funny stuff from the Wig, even though the writer is a hack who probably blindsided him with the questions. I expect the Star's apology and retraction momentarily.

The Kansas City Star: Allure of nightclubs can be strong for athletes.

Mizzou hoops hits the wall

The Athena Five was activated (its healthy members, anyway) but it really didn't add much in terms of point production as the Beakers put a hurt on the Tigers last night in Lawrence.

The game itself was a blow-out. Kansas has some really smart and ethical looking coaches who have assembled this roster of regular-season wonders. (March is going to be fun, trust me). But for us the on-court stuff really wasn't the story last night.

The story continues to be The Athena Five. Some fans are disappointed/angry/confused/bemused by coach Mike Anderson's decision to reinstate Butterfield and Horton. They were hoping coach Anderson would draw a hard line in the sand and make examples of the two in the wake of the five off court incidents in the last year. I take a little different look at the decision to activate all of the healthy members of The Athena Five. I am fine with Anderson's decision.
If he is satisfied with the information he's receiving from law enforcement and feels that the players have been punished enough by missing two games then that's good enough for me. The university/athletic department has rules in place regarding off court situations. That's why Kalen Grimes is no longer on the team.

Mike Anderson has repeatedly said that one of the things he learned from Nolan Richardson is that not only is he the coach to his players, in many instances he is a father figure. And his role as a father is to punish when necessary but also provide love, and mercy. Whether or not the players, especially Butterfield, make the team better on the court is debatable. But as for the decision to activate them you'll find no complaints from me.

For your enjoyment

While we wait for tonight's game.

One of Bradley's players was named Will Franklin, for what it's worth.

Gameday: MU hoops at KU

So much going on around the country this week. Yesterday, we had the Super Bowl. What a freaking game. Congrats to the New York Post for trademarking 18-1.

On the other side of the coin how do you suppose those 19-0 book sales are going? We're guessing not well.

Much has been made of KU's Lew Perkins sharing a suite with Super Bowl hero Eli Manning's brother Peyton. We're told it had something to do with Gatorade. We know he wasn't asking Peyton for tips on how to beat Mizzou. Peyton didn't have much luck with his college rival Florida. In any event the site of Lew (about 20 times) during the broadcast was pretty weird.

On the 2008 Presidential election trail, tomorrow is Super Tuesday where, potentially, the Clinton political cartel will come to an end once and for all.

Then Wednesday is signing day, when Gary Pinkel is expected to ink the most heralded class of recruits in Mizzou football history, including St. Louis QB Blaine Gabbert (above).

Sandwiched in between all that is a little something called the Border War. Kansas has been staked as a 19-point favorite in Vegas. We'll see if Mizzou has anything left in the tank to put up a fight tonight at Allen Fieldhouse, where MU hasn't won since Norm's last trip in 1999. Game time 8 p.m. Central on ESPN.

KU's other rival ruins other sport's season

Two words: Michael Beasley.

He talked shit and he delivered, handing KU it's first loss of the season and ending The Streak.

Heaven help the Tigers on Saturday as KSU comes calling.

KU kind of owns KSU's home court

On Jan. 29, 1983, Kansas State's men's basketball team beat Kansas 58-57 in Manhattan, Kansas. Since then it's been all Jayhawks. 24 straight wins for KU on KSU's home court.

This season the teams enter the game with identical 4-0 records in the Big XII. Both teams are ranked (for the first time in 50 years), and the rosters are stocked with future NBA'ers.

If KSU has a chance to break the streak this year it's because of freshman Michael Beasley (above), who was born six years into the streak. He is sort of talented. The kind of talent to break a streak that started 10 months before Scarface was released? We'll see Wednesday night.

A few facts to put The Streak in perspective. The last time KU lost at KSU:

Kansas coach Bill Self was a sophomore at Oklahoma State.

K State coach Frank Martin was 17 years old.

Former Kansas player and current assistant coach Danny Manning (above) was in 11th grade.

The oldest player on either roster, KU senior center Sasha Kaun, wasn't born until 1985.

The compact disc had been on the open market for about a month in the United States.

Michael Jackson's Thriller had not yet reached number one. Bo Jackson had not yet made this run in the Iron Bowl or won the 1985 Heisman Trophy.

Madonna's Like A Virgin wouldn't be released for over a year.

Chicken McNuggets had not yet been introduced at McDonald's.

The Big Chill and The Outsiders had not yet been released.



The top three songs on the Billboard Pop Chart were:

1. Land Down Under by Men at Work

2. Sexual Healing by Marvin Gaye

3. Africa by Toto


Ronald Reagan had not yet called the Soviet Union the "Evil Empire".

Nintendo wouldn't be released for two years.

CHiPS was airing original episodes.

Hooters had not yet opened.

Microsoft Word had not yet been released.

It would be 10 months until Reagan signed MLK, Jr. day into law.

Mike Tyson was more than two years away from making his professional boxing debut.

WrestleMania I was yet to take place at Madison Square Garden.

New Coke was two years away from being introduced. . . and two years and three months away from being discontinued.

The Kansas City Star: KU's hex over Kansas State's home floor could reach 25.

Lawrence Journal-World: Last time KSU won at home...

Border War fallout

Mizzou is pushing the limits on how many "moral" victories a team can accumulate in a single season. The Tigers came close but didn't do enough to win. We'll offer some further analysis over at Mizzourah later today. Until then, here's some game reaction from around the web:

Quotes from The Wig and Mike Anderson.

Kansas City Star: No. 3 Kansas beats Missouri.

Kansas City Star: MU believed it had a chance against KU.

Missouri notebook.

Kansas notebook.

Kansas City Star: Photo Gallery.

Columbia Missourian: Kansas wears down MU men's basketball team.

Columbia Missourian: Volkus' rare start sparks MU men's basketball team.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Tigers unable to clip Jayhawks.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: KU is good even when it plays bad.

Beakers dump Tigers in Columbia

The Tigers kept it relatively close throughout (KU's largest lead was eight), but Mizzou was too sloppy and out of control to take advantage of their obvious opportunities in a 76-70 loss Saturday night in Columbia.

The win, combined with the loss by Tyler Hansborough (below) and North Carolina, is likely to propell KU into the top two in the nation.

Mizzou and KU will resume the Border War on February 4 in Lawrence on Big Monday on ESPN. Hopefully Erin Andrews (below) will be present for the rematch.

Finally, not that you care but looks like MJ has a new Juanita in his life.

Maryland helps Missouri

The Maryland Terripans defeated the North Carolina Tarheels today, 82-80 in Chapel Hill. As you'll recall Mizzou beat Maryland 84-70 way back on Nov. 20 in Kansas City. The Terps win at the No. 1 team in the country is sure to boost Mizzou's strength of schedule a bit.

So how does the UM-UNC result helps Mizzou's opponent tonight? Well, apparently Kansas, now one of only two unbeatens with Memphis, doesn't need any help. Their coach is referencing the New England Patriots in press conferences. Classic.

Gameday: KU at MU hoops

The ESPNU experiment continues tonight in Columbia as the third-ranked Beakers take on the Mizzou hoops team at Paige Mizzou Arena.

Official MU release: Tigers, Jayhawks Renew Border Showdown. Interesting choice of a picture to accompany this story, we thinks. KY and J-Mac (McKinney, not Maclin)? Kind of random.

D-Jax having monster senior season

The undefeated Kansas basketball team is coming to Columbia tomorrow night for a showdown on ESPNU. One of the biggest reasons KU is having such a great season (so far) is the consistently superior play of senior forward Darnell Jackson. As much as we can't stand the Beakers we have to admit this kid is worthy of respect for perservering through some tough times.

The Wig in the tourney

Kansas basketball coach Bill Self, know around these parts as "The Wig", has sometimes overacheived (Tulsa) but mostly underacheived (Illinois, Kansas) in the NCAA Tournament. Link.