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Injuries at the Winter X Games have put a damper on the event. Page 4B
SECTION B, Thursday, January 31, 2013
MEN’S BASKETBALL I LSU 73, NO. 17 MISSOURI 70
HEAD SCRATCHER
Ray Lewis’ last ride has been bumpy one NEW ORLEANS — A lot of this Super Bowl was going to be about Ray Lewis anyway, even before strange tales of deer-antler spray and magic hologram chips came to light. He made sure of it by starting his retirement tour early, and bringing along the dances and inspirational speeches that TV cameras eat up. If his oratorical skills are great, so, too, is the player. His teammates love him as much for what he does in the locker room as on the field, and fans in Baltimore may one day even erect a statue to his greatness. Seventeen years fronting one of the most dominating defenses in the NFL should be enough to get him in the Hall of Fame. A Super Bowl win on Sunday would give him a second ring to Tim Dahlberg cherish the rest The Associated of his life. Press Like the player, though, the act has grown old. When Lewis talks — and he talks incessantly — it’s hard to take anything he says seriously. That was the case Wednesday when he had the stage to himself and everyone in a packed interview room wanted to know: Just what is deer-antler spray and why would you want to take it? Turns out he wouldn’t. And, says Lewis, anyone who suggests otherwise must be doing so with evil intent. “That’s the trick of the devil,” he said. “The trick of the devil is to kill, steal and destroy. That’s what he comes to do. He comes to distract you from everything you’re trying to do.” Enough. Please. The real trick for Ray Lewis is obfuscation and if he does it well, it’s because he’s had plenty of practice. The day before, a reporter had the temerity to ask him about a night 13 years ago in Atlanta that left two men dead after a Super Bowl party and put Lewis in jail on charges of double murder. Old news, maybe, but the circumstances
Comment
BILL FEIG/The Associated Press
Missouri guard Keion Bell, center, leans his head on his hand as teammates Corey Haith, left, and Danny Feldmann, right of Bell, watch the closing moments of the second half of the game against LSU on Wednesday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.
Missouri’s late rally couldn’t overcome a 13-point halftime deficit By JUSTIN YANG
sports@ColumbiaMissourian.com BATON ROUGE, La. — It started off like another typical slow and sluggish road performance for the Missouri men’s basketball team, but this time it was more exciting at the end. At the start of Wednesday night’s 73-70 loss to LSU in Baton Rouge, La., LSU was making all its shots while Missouri was sloppy and missing. Missouri shot just 7 of 26 in the first half and had five turnovers. Missouri coach Frank Haith was livid in Missouri’s first timeout. Missouri headed to the locker room down 39-26, and the game was looking similar to the doubledigit losses Missouri suffered at Ole Miss and Florida. “We dug ourselves into a big hole again,” Haith said. “Taking bad
shots, our defense was not good, transition defense was not good.” Haith emerged for the second half jacketless and tieless, a common occurrence when Missouri is struggling. Early in the second half, No. 17-ranked Missouri was down by as much as 16, but then Missouri’s offense started to click and the team went on an 8-0 run to pull within 46-42. Missouri had started playing defense, and it started to look different from the earlier road losses Missouri has experienced. The Missouri offense started to look better. Point guard Phil Pressey finished with 25 points, and guard Jabari Brown had 19 points. Senior forward Laurence Bowers, who played for the first time since spraining his right knee
on Jan. 8, scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds. “I didn’t want to play him 32 minutes, but it was nice to see him out there,” Haith told the Mizzou Network postgame show. Missouri’s run was cut short when LSU guard Anthony Hickey made a single-handed 7-0 run to pull LSU ahead 55-45. But Missouri did not give up and made it a 61-58 game with 3:39 to go. Then Pressey made a mistake that helped LSU pull away. As guard Andre Stringer pulled up for a 3-point shot, Pressey slapped Stringer’s hand. The shot went in, and after Stringer made the freethrow, LSU was ahead 65-58. A basket from forward Tony Criswell and a 3-pointer from Brown helped Missouri keep in the game, though. Still, a free throw by Hickey gave LSU a 66-63 lead
with 49 seconds to go. Then after a missed 3-pointer by Pressey, Stringer grabbed the rebound and was fouled. Stringer hit his free throws to put LSU ahead 68-63 with 38 seconds left. Earnest Ross then put Missouri back in the game with a 3-pointer. After that LSU forward Johnny O’ Bryant broke past Missouri on the inbounds play for a basket. Then Pressey dashed down court for a quick layup making it 70-68 with 23 seconds left. O’Bryant, who made only five of his nine previous free throws, was fouled on the ensuing possession. He made both his shots to put LSU ahead 72-68. Pressey again made a layup to make it 72-70. After LSU’s Shavon Coleman made one of two foul shots,
Please see TIGERS, page 2B
Please see LEWIS, page 2B
Tolton boys basketball looks to get back to basics
By MICHAEL SHAW
Priede takes her spot in front of the lens for her turn. “She’s hilarious,” Doty said. “The other day, we went and watched some stand-up comedy and I was like, ‘LP, that should be you.”’ It was through jokes that Priede gained confidence in her English.
sports@ColumbiaMissourian.com At first glance, with its sparkling new facilities, Fr. Tolton Regional Catholic High School seems beyond basic. However, the same won’t be said of the Trailblazers’ boys basketball team. “We’re about fundamentals,” firstyear coach Tyler Clark said. Ninety minutes into Wednesday night’s practice, the Trailblazers’ varsity and junior varsity squads continued to run layup and passing drills in their impressive new gymnasium. When the team scrimmaged later, Clark and his coaching staff’s main emphasis was getting the important things right. The team is in the middle of its first varsity season after going 19-9 in junior varsity competition last season. Clark plays down the record, though, noting the inconsistencies in JV scheduling and the unique situation of being a new school. Clark just wants to carry out the program’s mission of teaching the fundamentals while confidently preparing for the next game. “We feel like we’re playing at a high level right now,” Clark said. “We try to get better every game.” Tolton (8-9) is set to play its next game at 9 p.m. Thursday against Linn High School at the Southern Boone tournament in Ashland. The Wildcats bring a big, experienced roster into the game and are looking to redeem themselves after falling 54-42 to North Callaway in their
Please see PRIEDE, page 2B
Please see TOLTON, page 2B
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Latvian player’s funny side not always easy to see By TAYLOR VORTHERMS
off. Priede’s eyes widen and flicker sports@ColumbiaMissourian.com to life. She relaxes her shoulders, Her eyes scan the gym before and her arms fall to her side. dropping to the floor. With fingers “That’s it?” she asks, skeptically interlocked behind her back, she taking steps back towards the exit examines the hardwood looking for of Mizzou Arena. “No hard questhe right words. tions?” Surrounding conversations echo She glances at Jenny Dewar, the through Mizzou Arena, and her sen- Tigers’ communications directences get lost in the buzz of media tor, for permission to flee. Dewar day for the Misthrows up an index souri women’s finger, directing basketball team. Priede to a video “Once you camera propped up Florida (13-7, 2-4 SEC) start joking in on a tripod. at Missouri (13-8, 2- 5 SEC) English, you At the sight, PrieWHEN: 7 p.m. start actually de contorts her face understanding into an animated WHERE: Mizzou Arena it,” Tigers guard frown and shoots RADIO: KTGR 100.5 & 103.1 FM Liene Priede Dewar a glare. says. “When I thought Priede grew up in Riga, Latvia I was done, I was like…” Priede and moved to the United States with swipes her palm across her foreaspirations to learn the language head to dry an imaginary film of and play basketball. As a senior sweat. She then thrusts her arms graduating in May, she also desires up and looks to the ceiling. “…Halan unconventional career. leluiah!” “To be a comedian — that would “But now, I’m like...” She swiftly be a dream,” Priede says. drops to one knee and bows her Right now, though, Priede’s shyhead. “... ‘Please God.’” ness with reporters makes the goal Dewar grins in response. seem odd. She shifts on the balls of “She’s got a realness to her,” Misher feet. Like her gaze, her voice souri coach Robin Pingeton says remains distant and soft. of Priede. “She’s very genuine and Faint beeps sound in rapid order, authentic, and she’s got a funny and the red lights of recorders click sense of humor.”
Today’s Game
GREG KENDALL-BALL/Missourian
MU guard Liene Priede drives to the basket on Auburn guard Najat Ouardad during Mizzou’s 82-76 win over Auburn at Mizzou Arena on Jan. 6. Occupying the camera’s spotlight is 5-foot-4 point guard Lianna Doty. Priede sucks in air and stiffly approaches the scene. The reporter manning the camera begins to adjust the stand to accommodate the height discrepancy. “Doty is a midget,” the 5-10 Priede comments. Laughter ripples through the group of spectators as
COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN
Page 2B — THURSDAY, January 31, 2013
NATIONAL BASKETBALL COLLEGE BASKETBALL FROM READERS SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE ASSOCIATION STANDINGS — MEN EASTERN CONFERENCE
New York Brooklyn Boston Philadelphia Toronto Miami Atlanta Orlando Washington Charlotte Chicago Indiana Milwaukee Detroit Cleveland
Atlantic Division W L 28 15 27 19 22 23 19 26 16 30 Southeast Division W L 29 13 26 19 14 31 11 33 11 34 Central Division W L 28 17 27 19 24 20 17 29 13 33
Pct .651 .587 .489 .422 .348
GB — 2½ 7 10 13½
Pct .690 .578 .311 .250 .244
GB — 4½ 16½ 19 19½
Pct .622 .587 .545 .370 .283
GB — 1½ 3½ 11½ 15½
WESTERN CONFERENCE Southwest Division W L 37 11 29 15 25 23 19 26 15 31 Northwest Division W L Oklahoma City 34 11 Denver 29 18 Utah 25 21 Portland 23 22 Minnesota 17 25 Pacific Division W L L.A. Clippers 34 13 Golden State 28 17 L.A. Lakers 20 25 Sacramento 17 30 Phoenix 15 30 San Antonio Memphis Houston Dallas New Orleans
Pct .771 .659 .521 .422 .326
GB — 6 12 16½ 21
Pct .756 .617 .543 .511 .405
GB — 6 9½ 11 15½
Pct .723 .622 .444 .362 .333
GB — 5 13 17 18
Wednesday’s results Philadelphia 92, Washington 84 Indiana 98, Detroit 79 Boston 99, Sacramento 81 New York 113, Orlando 97 Atlanta 93, Toronto 92 L.A. Clippers 96, Minnesota 90 Chicago 104, Milwaukee 88 Miami 105, Brooklyn 85 San Antonio 102, Charlotte 78 Denver 118, Houston 110 Utah 104, New Orleans 99 L.A. Lakers at Phoenix (n) Today’s games Memphis at Oklahoma City, 7 p.m. Dallas at Golden State, 9:30 p.m.
TRANSACTIONS MIAMI HEAT — Signed F/C Chris Andersen to a second 10-day contract and F Jarvis Varnado for the remainder of the season.
TODAY IN NBA HISTORY 1991 — Michael Adams of the Denver Nuggets scores a career-high 45 points, hands out 12 assists and grabs 11 rebounds in a 123-119 win over New Jersey. The 5-foot-11 guard becomes the shortest player in the NBA to get a triple-double. 2006 — Kobe Bryant scores 40 points in Los Angeles’ 130-97 win over New York. The NBA’s leading scorer averages 43.4 points in 13 games in January, joining Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to average 40 or more points in a month more than once. Bryant also averaged 40.6 points in February 2003.
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE EASTERN CONFERENCE
Boston Ottawa Montreal Toronto Buffalo Tampa Bay Winnipeg Carolina Washington Florida
Pts 8 7 6 6 4
GF 12 22 16 16 14
GA 9 19 17 18 20
Pts 11 11 8 6 5
GF 19 24 18 18 16
GA 12 13 15 20 19
Pts 10 7 4 3 2
GF 29 18 14 13 10
GA 15 18 18 22 24
WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division GP W L OT Chicago 7 6 0 1 St. Louis 6 5 1 0 Detroit 6 3 2 1 Columbus 7 2 4 1 Nashville 6 1 2 3 Northwest Division GP W L OT Minnesota 7 4 2 1 Edmonton 5 3 2 0 Vancouver 6 2 2 2 Colorado 5 2 3 0 Calgary 4 1 2 1 Pacific Division GP W L OT San Jose 6 6 0 0 Anaheim 5 3 1 1 Dallas 7 2 4 1 Los Angeles 5 2 2 1 Phoenix 6 2 4 0
All Games W L Pct. 17 2 .895 17 3 .850 14 6 .700 12 7 .632 15 5 .750 12 7 .632 13 7 .650 11 8 .579 9 11 .450 11 7 .611 12 8 .600 8 11 .421 8 12 .400 7 12 .368
Wednesday’s results LSU 73, Missouri 70 Georgia 57, Auburn 49 Florida 75, South Carolina 36 Texas A&M 55, Mississippi St. 49, OT Today’s game Arkansas at Alabama, 8 p.m.
LSU 73, MISSOURI 70 MISSOURI (15-5, 4-3) Player FG 3-pt FT Reb PF TP Bowers 4-9 0-1 2-2 6 2 10 Oriakhi 0-2 0-0 1-2 3 4 1 Pressey 9-21 1-9 6-6 4 2 25 Webster-Chan 1-4 1-2 0-0 3 1 3 Brown 5-13 4-10 5-8 7 4 19 Criswell 2-6 0-0 1-2 9 3 5 Ross 2-6 1-3 2-2 5 2 7 Jankovic 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 Rosburg 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 0 0 TEAM 1 Totals 23-61 7-25 17-22 39 19 70
A TO B 0 1 1 0 0 0 5 3 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
S 0 1 4 1 1 0 1 0 0
M 32 16 39 23 39 22 19 1 9
7 8 2 8 200
LSU (11-7, 2-5) Player FG 3-pt FT Reb PF TP A TO B O’Bryant 4-9 0-0 6-11 11 3 14 3 3 1 Del Piero 0-0 0-0 0-2 0 1 0 0 0 0 Carmouche 3-5 1-2 0-0 0 2 7 1 1 0 Hickey 9-17 1-7 1-2 2 3 20 4 3 0 Stringer 4-6 4-5 6-6 5 3 18 2 2 0 Coleman 4-4 0-0 1-4 4 2 9 0 2 0 Hammink 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Morgan 1-3 0-2 3-3 2 3 5 0 1 0 TEAM 2 Totals 25-45 6-17 17-28 26 18 73 1012 1
S 1 0 3 2 0 0 0 1
M 38 4 23 38 39 37 6 15
7 200
SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE STANDINGS — WOMEN
NBA CALENDAR
Atlantic Division GP W L OT 5 3 0 2 6 3 2 1 6 3 3 0 6 3 3 0 7 2 5 0 Northeast Division GP W L OT 6 5 0 1 7 5 1 1 6 4 2 0 6 3 3 0 6 2 3 1 Southeast Division GP W L OT 6 5 1 0 6 3 2 1 5 2 3 0 6 1 4 1 6 1 5 0
Conference W L Pct. 7 0 1.000 6 1 .857 5 2 .714 4 2 .667 4 3 .571 3 3 .500 3 4 .429 3 4 .429 3 4 .429 2 5 .286 2 5 .286 2 5 .286 2 5 .286 2 5 .286
SCORE AT HALF: LSU 39, Missouri 26 OFFICIALS: Joe Lindsay, Pat Adams, Lee Cassell TECHNICALS: None. ATTENDANCE: 8,804
Feb. 15-17 — NBA All-Star weekend (Houston). Feb. 21 — Trade deadline. April 20 — Playoffs begin. June 6 — NBA Finals begin (possible swithc to June 4). June 20 — Last possible date for NBA Finals (possible switch to June 18). June 27 — NBA draft.
New Jersey N.Y. Islanders N.Y. Rangers Pittsburgh Philadelphia
Florida Mississippi Kentucky Alabama Missouri Arkansas Texas A&M Tennessee Georgia LSU South Carolina Vanderbilt Auburn Mississippi St.
Pts 13 10 7 5 5
GF 24 24 15 13 10
GA 16 13 17 22 18
Pts 9 6 6 4 3
GF 19 15 16 10 11
GA 19 14 19 13 15
Pts 12 7 5 5 4
GF 26 17 13 11 21
GA 10 17 18 14 20
NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Wednesday’s results Ottawa 5, Montreal 1 Minnesota 3, Chicago 2, SO Edmonton at Phoenix (n) Today’s games St. Louis at Columbus, 6 p.m. Buffalo at Boston, 6 p.m. Washington at Toronto, 6 p.m. N.Y. Islanders at New Jersey, 6 p.m. Pittsburgh at N.Y. Rangers, 6 p.m. Winnipeg at Florida, 6:30 p.m. Colorado at Calgary, 8 p.m. Nashville at Los Angeles, 9:30 p.m. Edmonton at San Jose, 9:30 p.m.
TRANSACTIONS NHL — Suspended N.Y. Islanders F Colin McDonald two games for boarding Pittsburgh D Ben Lovejoy during Tuesday’s game. CAROLINA HURRICANES — Assigned D Joe Sova from Charlotte (AHL) to Reading (ECHL). COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS — Recalled F Jonathan Audy-Marchessault and D Tim Erixon from Springfield (AHL). Placed LW Matt Calvert on injured reserve. DALLAS STARS — Recalled D Jamie Oleksiak and F Antoine Roussel from Texas (AHL). Assigned RW Reilly Smith to Texas. DETROIT RED WINGS — Reassigned RW Trevor Parkes and G Jordan Pearce from Grand Rapids (AHL) to Toledo (ECHL). NEW JERSEY DEVILS — Waived RW Cam Janssen. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS — Assigned D Jake Gardner to Toronto (AHL).
TODAY IN NHL HISTORY 1920 — Joe Malone of the Quebec Bulldogs scores an NHL record seven goals in a 10-6 victory over the Toronto St. Patricks. 2006 — Carolina ties an NHL record for wins in a month, going 13-1 in January after an 8-2 win over Montreal.
Tennessee Kentucky Texas A&M South Carolina Georgia Vanderbilt LSU Arkansas Auburn Florida Alabama Missouri Mississippi St. Mississippi
Conference W L Pct. 7 0 1.000 7 1 .875 6 1 .857 6 2 .750 5 2 .714 4 3 .571 3 4 .429 2 5 .286 2 5 .286 2 5 .286 2 5 .286 2 5 .286 1 6 .143 1 5 .143
All Games W L Pct. 16 4 .800 19 2 .905 16 5 .762 18 3 .857 17 3 .850 14 6 .700 12 8 .600 14 6 .700 13 7 .650 13 8 .619 12 8 .600 13 8 .619 9 11 .450 8 12 .400
Wednesday’s results No games scheduled Today’s games LSU at Auburn, 6 p.m. Alabama at Georgia, 6 p.m. Mississippi St. at Tennessee, 6 p.m. Florida at Missouri, 7 p.m. Arkansas at Mississippi, 7 p.m. Vanderbilt at Texas A&M, 7 p.m.
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE NFL CALENDAR Feb. 3 — Super Bowl, Superdome, New Orleans March 9-11 — Clubs may enter negotiations with certified agents of players who will be unrestricted free agents at end of league year. March 12 — Before 3 p.m. CDT, clubs must exercise options for 2013 on all players who have option clauses in their 2012 contracts; clubs must submit qualifying offers to their restricted free agents with expiring contracts and to whom they desire to retain a right of first refusal/compensation; clubs must submit a minimum salary offer to retain exclusive negotiating rights to players with expiring 2012 contracts and who have fewer than three seasons of free agency credit; all 2012 player contracts expire. All clubs must be under the salary cap. The 2013 league year, free agency and trading period begins at 3 p.m. CDT. March 17-20 — Annual league meeting, Phoenix April 25-27 — NFL draft, New York May 20-22 — NFL spring league Meeting, Boston Sept. 5, 8-9 — 2013 NFL season begins.
TRANSACTIONS DALLAS COWBOYS — Named Rich Bisaccia special teams coordinator. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS — Signed WR Jeremy Kelley to a reserve/future contract.
TODAY IN NFL HISTORY 1988 — The Washington Redskins score 35 points in the second quarter to overcome a 10-0 deficit and beat the Denver Broncos 42-10 in the Super Bowl. MVP Doug Williams passes for four touchdowns and a record 340 yards. Timmy Smith rushes for a record 204 yards. 1993 — The Dallas Cowboys win the Super Bowl, beating Buffalo 52-17 and giving the Bills their third straight loss in the title game, a league record. 1999 — John Elway gets his second straight Super Bowl ring, weaving his magic for the final time during the Denver Broncos’ 34-19 win over the Atlanta Falcons. 2009 — Bruce Smith and Rod Woodson are elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility. Senior nominee Bob Hayes and Randall McDaniel, Derrick Thomas and Buffalo owner Ralph Wilson are also elected. 2010 — The Pro Bowl, a warmup to the Super Bowl in Miami, became a series of wind sprints as the AFC beat the NFC 41-34. Houston’s Matt Schaub passes for 189 yards and two AFC scores, and is chosen the most valuable player.
SPORTS ON THE AIR TODAY NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
7 p.m., TNT — Memphis at Oklahoma City 9:30 p.m., TNT — Dallas at Golden State
COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL
6 p.m., ESPN — Illinois at Michigan State 6 p.m., ESPN2 — UConn at Providence 6 p.m., NBCSN — Drexel at George Mason 8 p.m., ESPN — Arizona at Washington 8 p.m., ESPN2 — Arkansas at Alabama 10 p.m., ESPN2 — Gonzaga at Loyola Marymount
GOLF
3 p.m., TGC — PGA Tour, Phoenix Open, first round, at Scottsdale, Ariz. 3:30 a.m., TGC — European PGA Tour, Dubai Desert Classic, second round, at Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Brother writes of Norris Stevenson’s time as Missouri’s first black football player Gerald Stevenson Missourian reader
Gerald Stevenson is a younger brother of the late Norris Ronald Stevenson, the first African American to receive a football scholarship from MU, in January 1957. Norris died on March 3, 2012, and his brother’s reflections are excerpted on our website. He writes: “In January 1957, Norris became a legitimate pioneer and trailblazer in his acceptance of an MU football scholarship. He helped rescue MU from its segregated football past; and that includes all of the glory and certain humiliations that come with such a tardy, yet appreciated racial inclusion. However, in one of his characteristic understate-
ments he shrugged, “It was a sign of the times.” Norris’ pioneering and trailblazing business at MU was often quite tricky and hardly predictable. How would MU football make his inclusion work in these racially unchartered waters? One simple answer: Forget skin color! Go win some football games! Unfortunately, since racist attitudes often flirt with insanity, the road to racial common sense became more like executing a high wire circus act.”
More online For more, including an account of Coach Dan Devine’s interactions with Norris and pressure from boosters, go to bit.ly/munorris.
Photo courtesy of UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI ARCHIVES
Former Missouri football player Norris Stevenson died March 3, 2012. Stevenson, pictured here on Oct. 15, 2011, during MU's 100th Homecoming, is a member of the Missouri Athletics Hall of Fame. He graduated in 1961.
Florida beats South Carolina by 39 By MARK LONG
The Associated Press GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Kenny Boynton and Mike Rosario scored 15 points apiece and No. 4 Florida dominated another Southeastern Conference opponent, drubbing South Carolina 75-36 Wednesday night. The Gators, who won their ninth game in a row, led 33-10 at halftime and made their first five shots after the break. They opened a 31-point lead that seemingly couldn’t
get any more lopsided. Then it did. Florida (17-2, 7-0 SEC) pulled ahead 55-15 on Scottie Wilbekin’s floater in the lane with 12:32 remaining, sending the happy home crowd to the exits even earlier than usual this season. The Gamecocks (12-8, 2-5), meanwhile, seemed dazed on the floor and the bench. The Gators have enjoyed seven blowouts in as many conference games. They won the first six by an average of
26.5 points. This one made those seem like nail-biters. Florida overwhelmed South Carolina from the opening tip, doing just about everything right. It had to ease coach Billy Donovan’s mind some. After all, the Gators came into the game with their highest ranking since the 2006-07 season, and Donovan expressed concern earlier in this week when he talked about his players needing to “drive our car with two hands on
the wheel inside the lane and looking at what’s in front.” The Gators had no issues staying focused. In fact, they probably could have been stopped for speeding. Florida led 11-2 in the first 6 minutes of the game, pulled ahead 21-4 at the halfway point of the first half and probably could have named their score after that. The Gamecocks had three baskets, two assists and 11 turnovers at the break.
FROM THE SPORTS FRONT
Missouri still winless on road in SEC TIGERS from page 1B Missouri missed their chance to tie when Pressey missed a pull up 3-pointer. “That’s the problem there, late game,” Haith said. “We took some really bad shots, quick threes. We needed to
continue driving the ball, and we needed the right guys taking threes.” Haith called his team’s lategame shot selection “horrific.” Coleman gave Missouri one last chance to score when he missed another two foul shots, but Ross could not get
a shot off at the buzzer from the halfcourt line. The loss left Missouri winless on the road in Southeastern Conference play in three tries and dropped it to 15-5 overall and 4-3 in the conference. The team returns to Mizzou Arena, where it is
12-0 this season, for a Saturday afternoon game against Auburn. The victory was the first for LSU (11-7, 2-5 SEC) against a ranked conference opponent since it beat eventual national champion Florida 66-56 six seasons ago.
Priede can impersonate anyone on the team PRIEDE from page 1B “One day, a friend asked, ‘Oh, are you funny now?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, I guess I am,” Priede said. “So she said, ‘Well then, I guess you understand English.’” Priede says her family does not share her sense of humor. “They don’t understand my jokes,” Priede says, her voice trailing off. “A lot of times,
they don’t understand me.” But her teammates appreciate her charm, and Doty says they often gather around Priede as she imitates their individual mannerisms. “She can impersonate anyone on the team,” Doty says. “She just picks up on things you don’t even realize. Like, she makes fun of the way I walk. So she’ll
always do my walk when she walks by.” The camera’s red light begins blinking, and Priede’s face appears on the viewfinder. Her eyes are grave, her voice is hushed and her personality fades behind a somber veneer. “I like to bring joy to people. I like to make them smile and laugh,” Priede says. “That just makes me happy
— to brighten people’s day.” As Doty speaks into the recorders pointed at her face, Priede peeks her head from beyond the lens. “Hey Doty, give me a shoutout,” she calls out in jest. A smile stretches across Doty’s face, and she shakes her head. “When she’s happy and making jokes,” Doty says, “it’s a good day.”
Lewis accused of using performance enhancers LEWIS from page 1B surrounding the deaths have never been fully explained, especially by Lewis. Instead of invoking the devil, Lewis went the other way. “Nobody here is really qualified to ask those questions,” he said. “I just truly feel that this is God’s time, and whatever his time is, let it be his will. Don’t try to please everybody with your words, try to make everybody’s story sound right.” What? Lewis pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and got probation, along with a $250,000 fine from the NFL for violating its conduct policy. The murders remain unsolved after the case against his codefendants fell apart. He’s been nothing but a model citizen since and as the years go by and memories fade he’s become in inspirational figure to those who enjoy his proselytizing and
his play on the football field. His teammates respect him as their leader, and his coach seems to regard him as larger than life. “We have already used him as our team chaplain, so Ray could double up anytime he wants,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “He can coach. He can do whatever he wants. I think Ray’s got big plans. Ray’s that kind of guy and when he’s done playing he’s always a guy trying to affect people and change the way that people think and make an impact on the world.” He’s certainly making an impact on this Super Bowl, though his last ride has turned out to be bumpier than he might have imagined. Lewis surely understood the murders would be mentioned, but after years of deflecting questions about his connection to them, he was probably also sure it would be no more than a minor annoyance.
It’s not so easy with deerantler spray and pills. Sports Illustrated said Lewis hoped to repair a torn right triceps by seeking help from an Alabama company that says its products contain a banned substance connected to human growth hormone. Lewis denied taking anything illegal, but danced around any connection to the company that also sold its product to golfer Vijay Singh and others. “To entertain foolishness like that from cowards who come from the outside and try to destroy what we’ve built, like I just said, it’s sad to even entertain it on this type of stage, because this type of stage is what dreams are made of,” Lewis said. “This is what kids dream their whole lives, to be up here on these days, stepping in the NFL and saying that I am on the biggest stage ever.” If it all sounds a bit wacky, it’s because it is. What, after
all, could be goofier than deerantler spray and magic chips except maybe the men who believe in them. But after the Lance Armstrong confession it’s hard to believe anything athletes say anymore, or that the NFL is somehow free of PEDs simply because there hasn’t been a big scandal in recent years. We don’t know what anyone takes, how many tests they’ve passed or failed, or what they do behind closed doors to build the kind of muscles you need to play in the NFL. Life as a football player will end for Lewis on Sunday in the Super Bowl, and if he has mixed emotions about it, so must we. It’s hard to root against one of the greatest linebackers ever, a man who has played with the intensity of 10 men for 17 years now, and a man who is a towering figure in the locker room, After today, it’s even harder to root for him.
Trailblazers ready for next tournament TOLTON from page 1B tournament opener. “They (Linn) run things through their two bigs,” Clark said. “We need to guard and make them take tough shots.” Tolton is also looking for redemption after dropping its tournament opener Tues-
day night in a 76-55 loss to Fatima, the tournament’s top seed, despite an impressive opening half. “That’s the best team I’ve seen all year,” Clark said. “They had a kid (Patrick Schnieders, 38 points) who went off in the first quarter. We went with them blowfor-blow for quite a bit of
the game and just ran out of gas.” Despite the setback, the Trailblazers aren’t ready to quit on the tournament, their final one before district play. Clark said if his team can execute its game plan and have its guards continue to contribute, it has a chance to continue play-
ing in the tournament after Thursday. “Our guard play has been key,” Clark said. “(Sophomore guard) Brennan Church didn’t have as many points as he’d been having, but he created a lot. (Sophomore guard) Wes Waterman has been playing with a lot of confidence lately, too.”
COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN
THURSDAY, January 31, 2013 — Page 3B
NFL SUPER BOWL
Tough to pick a brother Ravens are the underdogs, but 49ers’ offense will need to show up By BARRY WILNER
The Associated Press NEW ORLEANS — The San Francisco 49ers never have tasted defeat in a Super Bowl, going 5-0. It’s the most impressive mark for any franchise in the big game. Baltimore also is undefeated, with the Ravens winning their only appearance, in 2001. Someone will have the Super
Bowl blahs for the first time after Sunday’s title game in the Superdome. The Ravens (13-6), who are 3½ -point underdogs, are on one of those runs reminiscent of recent NFL champions. Indeed, the New York Giants reached the Super Bowl a year ago in a similar manner, winning a wild-card game at home, then two playoffs on the road, including an overtime thriller. The Giants got healthy down the stretch, something the Ravens have replicated, particularly on defense where star linebackers
Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs are giving vi ntage performa nc es following injuryshortened seasons. “I believe we have found a way to believe in each
other, and nothing else matters,” said Lewis, who will retire after the game. “That is one thing about our sideline. When we are on our sideline, there is only one thing that matters, when this game ends, we will be victorious, and everybody believes the same thing. That’s what’s been our road, no matter who’s been up, who’s been down, who’s been hurt, who’s been injured. We found a way to pick each other up.” Baltimore’s path to New Orleans led through New England, where the Ravens fell to the Patriots in last year’s AFC title game. But they outscored the Patriots 21-0 in the second half to earn their spot in the Super Bowl. San Francisco (13-4-1) also came up one win short a year ago, losing to the Giants for the NFC championship. That defeat has driven the 49ers just as much as the Ravens’ failure in 2011 lifted them. These Niners are built around a physical, stingy defense — that also has been the Ravens’ persona for years, although not as much in 2012 as in Lewis’ other 17 pro seasons. Linebacker Patrick Willis, who like Lewis wears No. 52 and is a perennial All-Pro,
San Francisco head coach Jim Harbaugh, left, and Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh are getting ready for the “Harbowl” when the Ravens play the 49ers in New Orleans on Sunday.
is the anchor. “As a kid, you grew up watching,” Willis said. “Just to have the opportunity to be able to play in this game given my first four years (out of the playoffs), we were at home at this time watching other teams play. Last year we were one game away. To be able to be here, is truly special.” To make it extra special, San Francisco’s offense will need to outdo Baltimore’s. The Ravens have scored 90 points in three games, and the Niners have 73 in two.
defense in the league. Then again, the 49ers must deal with Joe Flacco, the only QB to win a postseason game in each of his first five seasons. Flacco also has six road playoff victories, a league record. He’s also outplayed Brady, the most successful quarterback of the last dozen seasons, in two straight AFC title games.
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES • 49ers back to first Super Bowl in 18 years, perfect 5-0 in Super Bowl history during 1980s and 90s behind Hall of Famers Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Steve Young. • Baltimore in second Super Bowl; beat New York Giants 34-7 in 2001 Super Bowl. • First matchup of teams in Super Bowl. • San Francisco’s five Super Bowl wins tied for second most in NFL history. Pittsburgh has six titles and Dallas also has five. • Ravens have won last three meetings. • Ravens QB Joe Flacco’s six postseason road wins most in playoff history. Flacco only QB to win playoff game in each of first five seasons. • Ravens Ray Lewis’ final game before retirement. Had 14 tackles in AFC title game vs. Patriots and has 44 in three postseason games after missing 10 weeks with torn right triceps muscle. Was Super Bowl MVP after 2000 season. Performs signature “Squirrel Dance.” • “Harbowl” or “Superbaugh” features pair of coaching brothers for first time — Ravens’ John Harbaugh, 49ers’ Jim Harbaugh. • 49ers second-year quarterback Colin Kaepernick makes 10th career start. Is 7-2 as a starter with 101.2 passer rating, 13 touchdowns, four interceptions, and 440 yards rushing with four TDs.
Baltimore’s defense has made big plays against Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Now it gets an entirely different type of quarterback, Colin Kaepernick. His combination of running skill, powerful arm and surprising cool for a second-year pro makes him particularly dangerous against the Ravens. Baltimore does not have the fastest
• 49ers rallied from 17-0 deficit to win at Atlanta for NFC championship, second-largest comeback to win a conference title behind Indianapolis, which erased 18-point deficit against Patriots in 2006. • Ravens tied franchise record with nine sacks to end San Francisco’s eight-game winning streak in ‘11 meeting. • Jim Harbaugh played QB for Ravens in 1998.
The Associated Press
Crabtree hoping to finish career Long snappers avoid spotlight season with championship ring 49ers wide receiver will be a big threat to the Ravens in the Superdome By JANIE McCAULEY
The Associated Press NEW ORLEANS — Michael Crabtree refused to remove the black 49ers beanie and reveal his hair. Nope, not going to do it. Crabtree is trying to maintain every possible element of surprise he might still have left heading into his first Super Bowl — and will certainly take any advantage he can get this week. Not that his ‘do has much to do with it. But this is Crabtree, quirky and superstitious, a guy still trying to shed that diva label he picked up as a college star at Texas Tech. It’s something his San Francisco teammates are quick to dismiss, insisting that’s not the case. The dynamic, play-making wide receiver will be a primary focus for the Baltimore Ravens’ secondary come Sunday at the Superdome. Crabtree is as dangerous after the catch as he is dodging defensive backs to make acrobatic catches or finding ways to keep both feet inbounds while tiptoeing the sideline. “A lot of coaches can coach a route and how you catch the ball, but after the catch it’s really all you,” he said. “That’s what makes you special.”
‘A lot of coaches can coach a route and how you catch the ball, but after the catch it’s really all you. That’s what makes you special.’ MICHAEL CRABTREE On making plays
No matter his catches or number of chances this weekend, Crabtree cares about only one thing: capping his career season with a championship ring. The fanfare and media frenzy, he’ll take it or leave it (his voice was hoarse Wednesday from all the talking). He is still coming to terms with being a public figure, and the constant scrutiny that goes along with it. Just last week, Crabtree learned he wouldn’t face
charges for an alleged sexual assault in a hotel after the 49ers beat Green Bay in the NFC divisional playoffs on Jan. 12. The San Francisco district attorney announced Friday there would be no charges “at this time.” The wideout was never arrested or detained, and police said he cooperated with the investigation. “I was disappointed in the allegations,” Crabtree said Wednesday morning, before heading off to practice at Saints headquarters. “It’s over now.” Crabtree still carries a chip on his shoulder and is out to prove he should have been drafted higher. He held out for 71 days as a rookie before signing in October 2009 and becoming a starter less than three weeks later. He wouldn’t change much about how things have gone so early in his NFL career. “I watched him as a youngster, I watched him in college,” Baltimore receiver Jacoby Jones said. “When he came out and he held out, I was interested to see what he was going to do. He came in and I was like, ‘This kid can play.’ I like his game. He’s got great hands, great route runner.” Colin Kaepernick sure thinks so. Crabtree quickly became the second-year quarterback’s top target after he took over the starting job under center midseason.
Ravens and 49ers long snappers will do everything to avoid getting any attention on Sunday By PAUL NEWBERRY
The Associated Press NEW ORLEANS — They look at the world upside down between their legs. The only time they get noticed is when they mess up. Such is life for a long snapper. In Sunday’s Super Bowl, Brian Jennings of the San Francisco 49ers and Morgan Cox of the Baltimore Ravens will be snapping for punts, field goals and extra points. They have the same goal: Don’t do anything that draws a lick of attention. “That’s part of a long snapper’s personality,” Cox said. “We just want to stay in the background.” It may seem like a simple skill — hiking the ball between your legs — but it takes years of practice to be able to perform it with the consistency, accuracy and velocity required in the NFL. They know one slight miscue could cost the game. “You’ve got guys who’ve been out there banging their heads for 3½ hours,” Jennings said. “You don’t want to go out there and screw it up.” While snappers, like kickers and punters, are viewed as something of outcasts compared to the rest of the roster, there’s a growing appreciation for what they do. Camps have sprung up around the
MARK HUMPHREY/The Associated Press
San Francisco long snapper Brian Jennings, right, interviews former 49ers player Michael Shumann on Tuesday in New Orleans. The seemingly simply skill takes years of practice to reach the NFL level. country dedicated solely to the art of hiking the ball — 7 or 8 yards to a holder for field goals and PATs, 14 or 15 yards to a punter. A player who has no chance of making it to the NFL based on arm strength or his 40 time can now carve out a niche on special teams. Don’t chuckle. Jennings has managed to stay in the league for 13 years — all with San Francisco — doing nothing but snapping the ball. Cox is finishing up his third year with the Ravens and he, too, hopes for a long career looking at the world from a different perspective. “I snap the ball accurately for a living,” the 36-year-old
Favre will join NFL Network crew for Super Bowl The three-time MVP QB will appear on NFL Network, NFL GameDay Morning By BARRY WILNER
The Associated Press NEW ORLEANS — Brett Favre is returning to the NFL — to work for the NFL Network. The retired three-time NFL MVP quarterback will join the network’s crew for daylong coverage of Sunday’s league championship game between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers. Favre hasn’t been heard from much since retiring
after the 2010 season. He returns to the city where he led the Green Bay Packers to a 35-21 win over New England in the 1997 Super Bowl. “I don’t miss the grind and stress of day-to-day football, but I do miss my teammates and coaches,” Favre said in an email to The Associated Press. He chose to appear on “NFL GameDay Morning” because he could work with friends such as Steve Mariucci, Deion
Sanders and Warren Sapp, and because the game is in New Orleans. “Players and coaches who I have great memories of, and to do it from the field where I won a Super Bowl was a tough combination to pass up,” Favre said. “Between my appearance on NFL Network and my work with Virtual Fan Network, a new digital sports marketing company, it will be great to reconnect with NFL fans around the Super Bowl.”
Favre will join host Rich Eisen and several Super Bowlwinning players, including Marshall Faulk, Kurt Warner and Sanders. “There aren’t too many retired athletes who continue to attract the attention and draw that Brett Favre does, and NFL Network is thrilled to have him,” said Eric Weinberger, executive producer of NFL Network. “Brett should give our viewers some unique insight and analysis into the
game and his life away from the field.” Favre left the NFL in 2010 after two aborted retirements. He starred for the Packers from 1992-2007, leading them to two Super Bowls. He played the 2008 season with the Jets, then was with Minnesota in 2009-10 — losing the ‘09 NFC title game at the Superdome to the Saints. He spent much of 2012 playing fantasy football, finishing next to last in his league.
Jennings said. “I think that’s awesome.” If there’s a drawback, it’s catching grief from their teammates about the massive amounts of time they spend standing around on the sideline. But that’s all in good fun. Everyone knows the snapper has a vital role to play. “Whenever somebody puts his hand on the football, his job is very, very important,” 49ers safety Donte Whitner said. “One snap over the kicker’s head, one snap that’s wide right or a little low, can be the difference in a football game. People don’t really notice you unless you do something bad at that position.”
COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN
Page 4B — THURSDAY, January 31, 2013
Game of crashes
Moore still hospitalized after being in one of many Winter X Games crashes By PAT GRAHAM
The Associated Press ASPEN, Colo. — The image was chilling: Snowmobile rider Caleb Moore, launched over his handlebars on a backflip gone wrong, rolled down the landing hill with his 450-pound machine somersaulting behind him. Run over by his sled, Moore lay on the snow for several minutes before being helped off the course. As of Wednesday, he was hospitalized in critical condition because of bleeding around his heart and a complication involving his brain. Moore’s was the worst accident at the Winter X Games, which wrapped up Sunday night after four days of competition, but it wasn’t the only harrowing moment. The wipeouts included a runaway snowmobile that sent spectators scrambling. Even the highlights were hardly tame. Snowboarding star Shaun White soared a competition record 24 feet into the air during the superpipe competition, and fellow boarder Elena Hight showed off a difficult trick called a “double alley-oop backside rodeo” that involved a couple of backflips and a 180-degree rotation. It had never been seen in a competition. All that, plus Moore’s crash, has some wondering whether dialing up the difficulty each year improves action sports or has simply made them too dangerous. “Should we be asking these questions? We absolutely should be,” said Dan Lebowitz, the executive director of Sport in Society at Northeastern University, which examines the role of sports to promote healthy development and social responsibility. The people performing these superhuman feats “really are just human,” he said. “How do we maintain safety in that progression when that progression sometimes pushes every envelope to some amazingly extreme point?” Moore’s injuries underscore the
dangers at Winter X, which was filled with numerous cover-your-eyes crashes. Halldor Helgason of Iceland overrotated on a flip in the snowboard big air competition and had to be taken off on a sled with a concussion. Rose Battersby of New Zealand sustained a lumbar spine fracture in a wipeout during practice before the skiing slopestyle competition, which will be an Olympic sport next winter at the Sochi Games. Then there was this: Summer X Games motocross champion turned snowmobile newcomer Jackson Strong tumbled off his machine during the best trick competition, the throttle sticking and the sled swerving toward fans as they scurried away. The machine came to a rest when it got tangled in some netting and no one was seriously hurt. Such a scenario had already crossed the mind of Levi LaVallee, a snowmobiler who captured two gold medals only to be sidelined for the final two competitions after tearing a muscle in his back. “I’ve always thought about, ‘What happens if the thing tips over and the throttle sticks?’” LaVallee said. “It was good, though, because it showed that X Games has a good setup with the fencing.” Whether action sports are too dangerous is an issue that’s been raised before. When freestyle skier Sarah Burke died in a training accident a little more than a year ago in Park City, Utah, there were questions about the halfpipe. Before that, the sport was examined when snowboarder Kevin Pearce suffered a severe brain injury in a fall in the same pipe as Burke two years earlier. Pearce has recovered and served as an analyst at Winter X. But in general, the athletes accept the risks and defend their disciplines.
Gamecocks’ new assistant coach won’t treat Jadeveon Clowney differently By PETE IACOBELLI
CHRISTIAN MURDOCK/The Associated Press
Caleb Moore falls over the handlebars during the freestyle finals at the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colo. Moore remains in critical condition in a Colorado hospital with bleeding around his heart and brain complications.
Quinnipiac reaching top of college hockey The Bobcats are undefeated in their past 17 games, and are ranked No. 2 By PAT EATON-ROBB
The Associated Press HAMDEN, Conn. — Quinnipiac captain Zack Currie says a lot of friends and family back in British Columbia didn’t even know until recently how to pronounce the name of his school. “They would say Kwin-ahpick, or Kwin-ah-PIE-ack, there were some pretty bad ones too,” the senior defenseman said. For the record, it’s pronounced KWIN-ah-pee-ack and its making a name for itself among the elite in college hockey. The Bobcats are 18-3-3, unbeaten in their last 17 games. They are ranked second in the nation, just behind perennial power Minnesota in the latest polls. Coach Rand Pecknold believes his team would already be No. 1 if the name on the front of the jersey read “Michigan” or “Boston College.” “There’s still some oldschool voters that don’t have the respect maybe they should have for our program,” he said. “I bet some of those people haven’t even
JOHN HASSETT/The Associated Press
Quinnipiac goalie Eric Hartzell guards against Princeton. The Bobcats are 18-3-3, unbeaten in their past 17 games and ranked second in the nation. seen us play.” A lot of people haven’t. Quinnipiac, a school of about 8,500 students located north of New Haven, is in just its 15th season as a Division I program. It joined the ECAC conference in 2005 and the No. 2 ranking is the highest in the school’s history, for any
sport. The team began its 15-02 unbeaten streak on Nov. 9 with an overtime win over Colgate. The biggest threat may come Saturday when it heads seven miles down the road to face its top rival, No. 8 Yale. The game already is sold out.
Pecknold is in his 19th season at Quinnipiac. The Bobcats were a Division II program until 1998, and he has guided it to 20-win seasons 14 times, including last year. But he acknowledges this year the team has a chance to be something very special. That, he said, is due in large
part to the play of goalie Eric Hartzell, a senior from White Bear Lake in Minnesota. The 6-foot-4 netminder has a save percentage of .934 and leads the nation with a goalsagainst average of 1.46. And he’s considered a leading contender for the Hobey Baker award (hockey’s answer to the Heisman trophy), a prize normally reserved for offensive stars. As a result, Hartzell has been getting a lot of attention recently from NHL scouts and the national media. But he said it doesn’t bother him, and won’t affect his focus. “We’re not going to lose,” Hartzell said. “I don’t use the words, ‘don’t,’ ‘can’t’ or ‘lose.’ We have lost, but it’s not something I like to use for future reference.” Pecknold said he first saw Hartzell play in a juniors tournament, where he performed poorly. Many schools, Pecknold said, lost interest after that. But Pecknold had come a day early to watch practice, and was convinced Hartzell had the skills to someday play in the NHL.
Rodman pens children’s book about red-haired bull Former NBA star’s new book, “Dennis The Wild Bull” came out Wednesday By BRIAN MAHONEY The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Even Dennis Rodman laughs at the idea. “Kind of funny, huh?” he said. It’s true, though. One of basketball’s most outrageous personalities has written a book for kids. The Hall of Famer’s book, “Dennis The Wild Bull,” came out Wednesday and fans will immediately recognize Rodman’s influence. The large red bull on the cover has flowing red hair, two nose rings, a tattoo and red stubble under his chin. “They’ll see me, literally see me. They’ll say, ‘Wow, this is just like him,’” Rod-
ARNULFO FRANCO/The Associated Press
Former NBA basketball player Dennis Rodman’s new book teaches children that it’s OK to be themselves. man said in a phone interview. And he deals with the same issues. Rodman, known as much for his wacky looks and lifestyle off the court as his considerable success on it, said the purpose of the book is simple. “More than anything, I just
Coach expects Clowney’s best effort
want little kids today just to understand, ain’t no matter what you do in life, be different, rich or poor man, guess what, it’s OK to be who you are pretty much and you’ll be accepted,” Rodman said. Rodman already wrote books about his personal life — the wild nights as a player, relationships with Madonna and Carmen Electra, and everything that allowed him to be famous long after he finished winning five championships with Detroit and Chicago. The author whose previous works include titles such as “Bad as I Wanna Be” and “I Should Be Dead by Now” chose a different audience this time. He said even now he is still recognized by children who never saw him play, and those are the ones he wanted to reach. “For a guy like me to be very eccentric, to even go to extremes to write a children’s
book with all the wild things I do and make it believable was pretty much incredible,” Rodman said. Co-written with Dustin Warburton, the book tells the story of Dennis, a bull who is captured away from his family and forced to live with other bulls in a rodeo. Though he looks nothing like them, they come to accept him and he becomes friends with them. “Once I got to know the other bulls, I liked them,” Rodman said. “I enjoyed their company and stuff like that, and they accepted me for who I am no matter how I look.” Dennis becomes so close with them that when he plots his escape to return to his family, he makes sure his new friends can come with him. Dennis originally was to escape alone until Rodman decided to change the ending.
“That’s not really Dennis. Dennis thought it was so cool that these other bulls accepted him and he stayed loyal to them. He wanted to see his family but he wanted these other bulls to come along,” said Darren Prince, Rodman’s marketing agent. “Anybody that knows the real Dennis Rodman knows how loyal he is to anybody that he’s close with and Dennis didn’t like that part, so they tweaked it at the end.” Rodman, ordered to pay $500,000 in back child support to his ex-wife last month, acknowledges a couple of his children on the cover, where two little bulls are pictured in front of Dennis. The book is available on Rodman’s website, www. dennisrodman.com, and Amazon for $16. His web site also has information regarding upcoming book signings in the New York area and Chicago.
The Associated Press COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina star defensive end Jadeveon Clowney won’t get any special treatment from his new position coach. Deke Adams said he’s continually been asked since becoming the Gamecocks defensive line coach how he’ll handle Clowney, the dominant, 6-foot-6 pass rusher who finished sixth in this past year’s Heisman Trophy voting. “I think everyone else has thought about it way more than I have,” Adams said. “My personality won’t change. I’ll continue to be the person I am that got me to this point. I’ll continue to coach hard and continue to demand perfection from my guys.” And that includes Clowney. That doesn’t mean that Adams, who spent last season on North Carolina’s staff, isn’t much happier to have the junior standout on his sideline than playing against him. The Tar Heels and Gamecocks open next season at WilliamsBrice Stadium on Aug. 31. “That’s always a bonus,” Adams said of Clowney. “He’s a great kid and I’ve heard a lot of exciting things about him.” The quick hire — Adams was named on Jan. 21, a day after longtime South Carolina defensive line coach Brad Lawing took a similar position at Florida — has not left Adams much one-on-one time with Clowney. The two talked last weekend as South Carolina hosted several college prospects they hope to sign next week. “I got a chance when I shook hands with him why that football looks so small in his hands,” Adams said. “He’s a great athlete.” Clowney seems poised for a special season in 2013. He closed last year by getting 4 1-2 sacks on Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd in the Gamecocks 27-17 victory over their state rivals, then perhaps had the highlight of New Year’s Day with his helmet-popping hit on Michigan runner Vincent Smith. Adams watched the game with his sons, Jaylen and Jordan, and all three jumped up after Clowney’s tackle. “It was just an amazing hit,” Adams said. “But the game is changing so much, and it was so fast and so violent, I thought, ‘OK, they’re going to throw a flag.’” But as the hit was replayed again and again at various speeds and camera angles, Adams marveled at the textbook hit Clowney made. “It was perfect,” he said. Adams was also amazed Clowney had the presence and poise to think about the football, which was lying on the ground. Clowney casually picked the ball up with his left hand for the fumble recovery. The coach saw up close last weekend how much bigger Clowney’s hands look in person. “When I shook hands with him, I saw why the football looked so small in his hands,” Adams said. South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier believes he and defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward made a perfect selection in Adams as Lawing’s successor. Lawing was the Gamecocks coach who first watched film of Clowney as a South Pointe High sophomore with uncommon speed and power for someone so young. Spurrier said he did not think the team would miss Lawing, who spent the past seven seasons on South Carolina, with Adams on board. “He’s sort of my kind of coach, good family man, wonderful personality. I think our players are really going to enjoy playing for him,” Spurrier said. Expectations for Clowney next season already through the roof. Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. projected Clowney as the top selection if he were eligible this year and Spurrier’s frequently called his standout linemen a “three-year player.”
INSIDE TODAY: WE WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS Call Sports Editor Greg Bowers: 573-882-5729 or send email to: bowersg@missouri.edu or fax us: 573-882-5702 Visit us on the Web: www.ColumbiaMissourian.com/sports
FOOTBALL Chiefs hope to have outside linebacker Tamba Hali back on the field Sunday. Page 4B
SECTION B, Thursday, November 28, 2013
MISSOURI 3 – ARKANSAS 0
Tigers lose three-star recruit
Flawless finish
Jhonathan Williams switched his verbal commitment to the Fighting Irish
Missouri volleyball finishes season 34-0 with sweep of Arkansas
By MATTHEW FAIRBURN
sports@ColumbiaMissourian.com Jhonathan Williams wasn’t expecting the phone call he got in midNovember. Having verbally committed to Missouri, the 6-foot-6-inch, 230-pound high school defensive end wasn’t really thinking about other colleges. But on Nov. 13, Notre Dame came calling and extended a scholarship offer to Williams, who is listed as a three-star recruit by 247sports.com. On Wednesday morning, two weeks after receiving his offer, Williams switched his verbal commitment from Missouri to Notre Dame. “There were two really major factors,” Williams said in a phone interview on Wednesday. “The first was definitely my family’s current situation. You know, it’s in the best interest to support and help my family by staying close to home. I also felt really welcomed by the players and the coaching staff. I felt at home there.”
Saturday’s game Missouri vs. Texas A&M WHERE: Memorial Stadium WHEN: 6:45 p.m. WATCH: ESPN
UNHO YI/Missourian
Missouri seniors Lisa Henning, left, and Molly Kreklow watch a commemorative slideshow following the Missouri volleyball team’s 3-0 win over Arkansas on Wednesday night. The Tigers became the first Southeastern Conference volleyball team to go undefeated during the regular season. By REBECCA DELL from throughout their lives and careers. sports@ColumbiaMissourian.com Senior volunteer assistant coach Matt Porter was recognized as Seniors Molly Kreklow and Lisa Henning and their fellow starters well. ran around the court during introductions Wednesday, high-fiving He said the team has been unbelievable in their success, and he’s the kids that lined three-quarters of the court, as usual. benefited from growing with the team. They high-fived the team staff on the bench, as usual. “I used to be super quiet, but now me and Molly and Lisa are the Then they high-fived Missouri Gov. Jay best of friends, and I couldn’t have asked for Nixon, not as usual. two better people to share a senior class with,” ‘I honestly don’t ever want he said. “Looking forward to watching SEC champs @MizzouVB go 34-0 in their final match at Kreklow and Henning, current roommates, to leave, but obviously home tonight against Arkansas #Mizzou,” said watched the slide show with their arms around Gov. Nixon’s Twitter account, @GovJayNixon, sometime you have to move each other, laughing and talking. before the game. “I honestly don’t ever want to leave, but obvion with your life. You only ously sometime you have to move on with your And the Missouri Tigers did just that, defeating the Arkansas Razorbacks 3-0 (25-11, 25-16, get four years for a reason.’ life,” Henning said. “You only get four years for 29-27). a reason. But I feel confident that we set a nice MISSOURI SENIOR LISA HENNING Kreklow opened the evening with the serve, tone for this team and taught our underclassmen On her final season holding it for three points before the Razorwell what is expected, and how high expectations backs got a sideout. Missouri took the first set (are) what you need to have in a team in order to without giving up the lead. grow. So I feel really confident in our underclassmen.” Arkansas opened the second set with a point, forcing the Tigers Coach Wayne Kreklow said it was good for Missouri to end playto work to find their rhythm. Then in the third set a few Tiger mis- ing two tough teams — Kentucky and Arkansas — and the next step takes early on kept Arkansas in the set. The two teams went back for the team is to start over for the NCAA tournament. and forth, almost as if the Tigers didn’t want the season to end. They “At some point we’ll look back and try to dissect it and figure out finished at 29-27. how it all happened,” he said. “To do this (stay undefeated) over that And just like that, the regular season was over. long a period of time is just something that’s really remarkable.” The team recognized the teary-eyed Kreklow and Henning after Supervising editor is Greg Bowers: bowersg@missouri.edu, 882the match with flowers, framed jerseys and a slide show of photos 5729.
Williams’ hometown of Berrien Spring, Mich., is just 30 minutes north of Notre Dame’s campus in South Bend, Ind., so when the Irish entered the picture, they already had a leg up on Missouri in the location department. After visiting Notre Dame for its most recent game against Brigham Young University, Williams had seen all he needed. “I’ve always known about the prestige of Notre Dame,” Williams said. “It was a really great experience. Everyone was really positive, and I had a great time. On Wednesday morning, Williams called Missouri coach Gary Pinkel and defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski to inform them of his decision. Kuligowski was Williams’ main contact during the recruiting process. The success Missouri has had developing NFL talent at defensive end was enticing, but Williams couldn’t pass up a chance to stay close to home. The recruiting process was slow to develop for Williams. He was committed to Toledo over the summer but started to pick up bigger and bigger offers as his senior season went on. Williams doesn’t think much changed in his game. People just started to notice him. “I live in a small town,” Williams said. “I guess things just didn’t get out here like they do in bigger cities.
Please see WILLIAMS, page 2B
‘Humbled’ Haith returns to Missouri men’s basketball Head coach’s suspension ended Tuesday after sitting out first five games of season By RYAN HOOD
GREG KENDALL-BALL/Missourian
Missouri coach Frank Haith walks back to the court Feb. 19 before the second half of Missouri’s 63-60 win over Florida. Interim coach Tim Fuller led the Tigers to a 5-0 record in Haith’s absence.
sports@ColumbiaMissourian.com Frank Haith didn’t waste any time. The moment Tuesday arrived, the Missouri men’s basketball coach returned to work, marking the end of his five-game suspension. “I came over to the office last night around midnight and spent about an hour in there just going through some stuff,” Haith said Tuesday morning in a teleconference with reporters. “It feels good, really good, to be back. “I’m very humbled about being back. I’m just a guy doing what I do. It’s truly a blessing.” Haith returns to an unblemished squad. The team cruised to a 5-0 record under interim coach Tim Fuller during Haith’s five-game hiatus. “I’ll finally be able to sleep,” Fuller said. “I saw just how challenging coach Haith’s job really is.” Haith gave Fuller high marks for his handling of those challenges. “I thought the staff did a great job,” Haith said. “Tim did a great job. And that’s a hard thing to do. Obviously, there’s things we’ve got to get better at, and we will. But under the circumstances, I thought he did a great, great job.” Haith said he “was not a good person to be around” while watching the Tigers’ five games
during the suspension, which he did alone at home. “I was able to see a lot and learn a lot about our team, about everything,” Haith said. “It’s helpful to me to come back to the team and be able to share with them the things that I learned watching them from afar and talking to people that watched our games.” What Haith saw was a team he believes could shoot better (50.5 percent now), rebound better (41.4 per game) and create better ball movement. As for lineup changes, Haith said he’d like to get the team’s post players more involved, mentioning Tony Criswell (13 minutes per game) and Keanau Post (9.2 minutes per game) as two post players he’d like to see play more. Haith mentioned guards Jabari Brown (37 minutes per game) and Jordan Clarkson (30.4 minutes per game) as players he intends to play less. “I told the staff there are some guys I want to see get more minutes and some guys I want to see get less,” Haith said. “I understand where they were at. They didn’t want to lose games. We’ve got to monitor the heavy minutes on Jabari and Jordan a little bit, and we need to get some other guys involved. And we will.” After 18 days without Haith, the players are relived to get their coach back. “I really enjoyed playing for Coach Fuller; he brought me here. But I love Coach Haith as well, so it will be exciting to have him back,” Brown
Please see HAITH, page 2B
COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN
Page 2B — THURSDAY, November 28, 2013
World Cup stadium collapses
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
AMERICAN CONFERENCE New England N.Y. Jets Miami Buffalo
W 8 5 5 4
Indianapolis Tennessee Jacksonville Houston
W 7 5 2 2
Cincinnati Pittsburgh Baltimore Cleveland
W 7 5 5 4
Denver Kansas City San Diego Oakland
W 9 9 5 4
East L T 3 0 6 0 6 0 7 0 South L T 4 0 6 0 9 0 9 0 North L T 4 0 6 0 6 0 7 0 West L T 2 0 2 0 6 0 7 0
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Pct .727 .455 .455 .364
PF 288 186 229 236
PA 230 287 245 273
Dallas Philadelphia N.Y. Giants Washington
W 6 6 4 3
Pct .636 .455 .182 .182
PF 263 250 142 199
PA 260 245 324 289
New Orleans Carolina Tampa Bay Atlanta
W 9 8 3 2
Pct .636 .455 .455 .364
PF 275 243 227 203
PA 206 256 215 265
Detroit Chicago Green Bay Minnesota
W 6 6 5 2
Pct .818 .818 .455 .364
PF 429 270 269 213
PA 289 179 260 269
Seattle San Francisco Arizona St. Louis
W 10 7 7 5
East L T 5 0 5 0 7 0 8 0 South L T 2 0 3 0 8 0 9 0 North L T 5 0 5 0 5 1 8 1 West L T 1 0 4 0 4 0 6 0
Pct .545 .545 .364 .273
PF 298 276 213 252
PA 279 260 280 338
Pct .818 .727 .273 .182
PF 305 258 211 227
PA 196 151 258 309
Pct .545 .545 .500 .227
PF 286 303 284 266
PA 277 309 265 346
Pct .909 .636 .636 .455
PF 306 274 254 266
PA 179 184 223 255
ANDRE PENNER/The Associated Press Monday’s result San Francisco 27, Washington 6 Today’s games Green Bay at Detroit, 11:30 a.m. Oakland at Dallas, 3:30 p.m. Pittsburgh at Baltimore, 7:30 p.m.
NFL CALENDAR Dec. 29 — Regular season ends Jan. 4-5 — Wild-card playoffs Jan. 11-12 — Division-round playoffs Jan. 19 — Conference championships Feb. 1 — NFL Honors awards show at New York
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE Atlantic Division GP W L OT Pts 25 16 7 2 34 24 15 8 1 31 26 12 7 7 31 25 14 9 2 30 24 14 9 1 29 25 10 11 4 24 26 7 14 5 19 26 5 20 1 11 Metropolitan Division GP W L OT Pts Pittsburgh 25 15 9 1 31 N.Y. Rangers 25 13 12 0 26 Washington 25 12 11 2 26 Carolina 25 10 10 5 25 New Jersey 25 9 11 5 23 Philadelphia 23 10 11 2 22 Columbus 25 9 13 3 21 N.Y. Islanders 25 8 14 3 19
Anaheim San Jose Los Angeles Phoenix Vancouver Calgary Edmonton
Central Division GP W L OT 25 17 4 4 23 17 3 3 22 17 5 0 25 15 6 4 25 13 10 2 27 12 11 4 23 12 9 2 Pacific Division GP W L OT 27 17 7 3 23 15 3 5 25 16 6 3 24 14 6 4 26 12 9 5 23 8 11 4 25 7 16 2
GA 52 61 71 52 60 81 86 82
GF 72 53 76 53 53 50 62 70
GA 58 61 74 70 62 56 75 85
Toronto Philadelphia Boston Brooklyn New York Miami Atlanta Charlotte Washington Orlando Indiana Chicago Detroit Cleveland Milwaukee
Atlantic Division W L 6 8 6 10 6 11 4 11 3 10 Southeast Division W L 12 3 8 7 7 9 6 8 6 9 Central Division W L 14 1 7 7 6 9 4 11 2 11
Pct .429 .375 .353 .267 .231
GB — 1 1½ 2½ 2½
Pct .800 .533 .438 .429 .400
GB — 4 5½ 5½ 6
Pct .933 .500 .400 .267 .154
GB — 6½ 8 10 11
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Pts 38 37 34 34 28 28 26
GF 92 82 69 64 60 72 67
GA 71 50 45 58 69 78 68
Pts 37 35 35 32 29 20 16
GF 83 79 67 80 67 64 65
GA 71 52 53 78 68 84 89
NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Wednesday’s results St. Louis at Colorado (n) Montreal 3, Buffalo 1 Carolina 4, New Jersey 3 Winnipeg 3, N.Y. Islanders 2 Ottawa 6, Washington 4 Nashville 4, Columbus 0 Detroit 6, Boston 1 N.Y. Rangers 5, Florida 2 Philadelphia at Tampa Bay (n) Toronto at Pittsburgh (n) Phoenix at Minnesota (n) Chicago at Calgary (n) Los Angeles at San Jose (n) Today’s games Vancouver at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m. Edmonton at Nashville, 8 p.m.
Southwest Division W L 13 2 10 5 9 6 8 7 6 8 Northwest Division W L Portland 13 2 Oklahoma City 10 3 Denver 7 6 Minnesota 8 8 Utah 2 14 Pacific Division W L L.A. Clippers 10 5 Golden State 9 6 L.A. Lakers 8 8 Phoenix 7 7 Sacramento 4 9 San Antonio Houston Dallas Memphis New Orleans
ON THE AIR TODAY COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL
11 a.m., ESPN2 — Old Spice Classic, first round, Purdue vs. Oklahoma St., at Orlando, Fla. 1 p.m., ESPN2 — Old Spice Classic, first round, Butler vs. Washington St., at Orlando, Fla. 3:30 p.m., ESPN2 — Wooden Legacy, first round, Marquette at Cal St.-Fullerton 5:30 p.m., ESPN2 — Old Spice Classic, first round, Memphis vs. Siena, at Orlando, Fla. 6 p.m., NBCSN — Battle 4 Atlantis, first round, Xavier vs. Iowa, at Paradise Island, Bahamas 7:30 p.m., ESPN2 — Old Spice Classic, first round, LSU vs. Saint Joseph’s, at Orlando, Fla. 8:30 p.m., NBCSN — Battle 4 Atlantis, first round, Tennessee vs. UTEP, at Paradise Island, Bahamas 9:30 p.m.; KCMQ, 96.7 FM; KTGR, 1580 AM and 100.5 FM — Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational, Missouri vs. Northwestern, at Las Vegas, Nev. 10 p.m., ESPN2 — Wooden Legacy, first round, Creighton vs. Arizona St., at Fullerton, Calif.
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE 11:30 a.m., FOX — Green Bay at Detroit 3:30 p.m., CBS — Oakland at Dallas 7:30 p.m., NBC — Pittsburgh at Baltimore
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
6:30 p.m., ESPN — Mississippi at Mississippi St. 6:30 p.m., FS1 — Texas Tech at Texas
PREP FOOTBALL
9 a.m., FS1 — Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) at St. Joseph Regional (N.J.)
GOLF
5:30 a.m., TGC — European PGA Tour, Alfred Dunhill Championship, first round, at Mpumalanga, South Africa Noon, FS1 — UEFA Europa League, Tottenham at Tromso 2 p.m., FS1 — UEFA Europa League, Zulte Waregem at Wigan
Pct .867 .667 .600 .533 .429
GB — 3 4 5 6½
Pct .867 .769 .538 .500 .125
GB — 2 5 5½ 11½
Pct .667 .600 .500 .500 .308
GB — 1 2½ 2½ 5
Wednesday’s results Orlando 105, Philadelphia 94 Indiana 99, Charlotte 74 L.A. Lakers 99, Brooklyn 94 Memphis 100, Boston 93 Miami 95, Cleveland 84 Chicago 99, Detroit 79 Oklahoma City 94, San Antonio 88 Denver at Minnesota (n) Atlanta at Houston (n) Washington at Milwaukee (n) Golden State at Dallas (n) Portland at Phoenix (n) New York at L.A. Clippers (n) Today’s games No games scheduled
NHL CALENDAR Friday — NHL Thanksgiving Showdown: New York Rangers at Boston Bruins Dec. 1 — Signing deadline for Group 2 free agents. Dec. 19-27 — Holiday roster freeze. Dec. 24-26 — Holiday break.
SOCCER
By STAN LEHMAN and TALES AZZONI
EASTERN CONFERENCE
GF 69 72 69 67 66 74 58 45
WESTERN CONFERENCE Chicago St. Louis Colorado Minnesota Nashville Winnipeg Dallas
Construction crane crashes into structure, kills two workers
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
EASTERN CONFERENCE Boston Tampa Bay Detroit Montreal Toronto Ottawa Florida Buffalo
A buckled metal structure sits on a part of the Itaquerao Stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Wednesday after a construction crane crashed into a 500-ton metal structure that in turn cut through the outer walls of the venue. The accident resulted in the death of at least two workers.
Sunday’s games Chicago at Minnesota, noon New England at Houston, noon Tennessee at Indianapolis, noon Jacksonville at Cleveland, noon Tampa Bay at Carolina, noon Arizona at Philadelphia, noon Miami at N.Y. Jets, noon St. Louis at San Francisco, 3:05 p.m. Atlanta vs. Buffalo at Toronto, 3:05 p.m. Denver at Kansas City, 3:25 p.m. Cincinnati at San Diego, 3:25 p.m. N.Y. Giants at Washington, 7:30 p.m.
NBA CALENDAR Jan. 6 — 10-day contracts can be signed. Jan. 10 — Contracts guaranteed for rest of season. Feb. 14-16 — All-Star weekend, New Orleans.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE East Conference W L PF PA 6 1 255 128 6 2 253 178 5 3 292 254 4 4 213 241 3 5 159 163 1 6 117 231 0 7 104 264 West Conference W L PF PA Alabama 7 0 277 83 Auburn 6 1 253 196 LSU 4 3 227 172 Texas A&M 4 3 286 264 Mississippi 3 4 170 203 Mississippi St 2 5 162 227 Arkansas 0 7 108 272 Missouri South Carolina Georgia Vanderbilt Florida Tennessee Kentucky
All Games W L PF PA 10 1 437 212 9 2 378 223 7 4 417 319 7 4 327 275 4 7 219 216 4 7 259 334 2 9 232 347 All Games W L PF PA 11 0 437 102 10 1 429 242 8 3 413 245 8 3 502 343 7 4 355 274 5 6 299 282 3 8 221 338
Thursday’s game Mississippi at Mississippi St., 6:30 p.m. Friday’s game Arkansas at LSU, 2:30 p.m. Saturday’s games Florida St. at Florida, TBA Wake Forest at Vanderbilt, 11:21 a.m. Alabama at Auburn, 2:30 p.m. Georgia at Georgia Tech, 2:30 p.m. Tennessee at Kentucky, 6 p.m. Clemson at South Carolina, 6 p.m. Texas A&M at Missouri, 6:45 p.m.
MISSOURI’S SCHEDULE 58 38 45 41 51 41 36 24 31 48 24 Saturday
Murray St. 14 Toledo 23 at Indiana 28 Arkansas St. 19 at Vanderbilt 28 at Georgia 26 Florida 17 South Carolina (2OT) 27 Tennessee 3 at Kentucky 17 at Mississippi 10 Texas A&M 6:45 p.m.
The Associated Press SAO PAULO — Part of the stadium that will host the 2014 World Cup opener collapsed Wednesday, killing two workers and aggravating already urgent concerns Brazil won’t be ready for soccer’s signature tournament. The accident at the Arena Corinthians, known locally as the Itaquerao, could hardly have come at a worse time — just a week ahead of the draw that will determine the tournament’s schedule and with the top names in soccer all descending on Brazil. Preparations have been plagued by setbacks including cost overruns, stadium delays, accidents, labor strife and huge street protests in the run-up to the June tournament, once envisioned as a coming out party for South America’s largest nation, which is also scheduled to host the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Already, public prosecutors and a workers union in Sao Paulo were demanding an investigation into conditions at the venue, saying work shouldn’t resume until authorities deem the stadium safe. Ricardo Trade, CEO of the local World Cup organizing committee, said authorities would determine if there is a need to suspend construction. “There are seven months till the World Cup, not 10 days, so I don’t believe this is going
to cause delays. But there is absolutely no guarantee on this,” Trade said in a telephone interview. The accident could lead to recriminations between local organizers and world soccer’s organization FIFA, which has set a December deadline for all 12 World Cup stadiums to be ready. The tournament begins June 12. “I don’t want to know about FIFA right now; we are worried about the families of the victims,” said Andres Sanchez, former president of the Sao Paulo soccer club Corinthians, which is building the stadium. The club said workers will not return before a three-day mourning period. The stadium was nearly finished before the collapse, which occurred when a construction crane crashed into a 500-ton metal structure. That structure then cut through the outer walls of the venue, destroying part of the outside of the building and slamming into a giant LED panel that runs across the stadium’s facade. Sanchez said it appeared the structure of the stadium was not compromised, meaning there should be enough time to recover before the World Cup. “Structurally very little was affected,” he said. Six stadiums have already been declared ready for the games. But Brazil is racing against time to deliver the other six, and there is particu-
lar concern that the stadiums in Cuiaba, Manaus and Curitiba might not be ready by the end of December. FIFA has said it would not accept the same delays that plagued stadium construction before soccer’s Confederations Cup earlier this year, for which only two stadiums were ready on time. Soccer’s governing body said Wednesday that the “safety of workers is the top priority” to World Cup organizers and called on local authorities to “fully investigate the reasons behind such a tragic accident.” The Sao Paulo stadium, which cost nearly $360 million, will seat nearly 70,000 people. It’s scheduled to host six matches in all, including the opener and a semifinal. The stadium was initially expected to be built for June’s Confederations Cup, but delays with financing prompted authorities to scrap the project from the World Cup warm-up tournament. One of the dead workers, 42-year-old Fabio Luis Pereira, was inside a truck that was hit by the fallen metal structure. The other, 44-year-old Ronaldo Oliveira dos Santos, was taking a break in an area that was supposed to be clear. “Unfortunately nobody saw him,” Sanchez said. “He was napping.” The accident happened at lunchtime, so few of the nearly 1,700 workers were on the
site when the crane collapsed. “The sound was as loud as a thunderclap or a huge explosion,” said Rodrigo Vessoni, a reporter with the sports newspaper Lance who witnessed the accident. “There was a lot of running around, a lot of shouting. It was frightening. Chills ran through my entire body.” A stonemason who was off at a cafeteria said it was lucky the accident happened when it did. “If it hadn’t been lunchtime there would have been many more deaths,” said 32-year-old Evandro Pereira. “It was really very scary.” An official with construction company Odebrecht said a similar metal structure had already been installed with the same crane at the other side of the stadium earlier this year. “Everything was being done according to procedure,” said Frederico Barbosa, the site manager. It wasn’t the first problem with World Cup stadiums in Brazil. One worker died last year during construction of a stadium in the capital, Brasilia, and one was killed at the Manaus stadium last March. Another worker died in April at the new Palmeiras stadium, which may be used for teams training for games in Sao Paulo. Construction there was stopped for 10 days for damage that was not as serious as the destruction Wednesday at the Corinthians stadium.
FROM THE SPORTS FRONT
Tigers could lose defensive end depth WILLIAMS from page 1B Better late than never.” Not for Missouri. Williams’ decision still leaves the Tigers with 25 verbal commitments for their 2014 recruiting class. Losing a defensive end of Williams’ caliber hurts, though. The only other defensive end Missouri has a verbal commitment from for 2014 is
Rocel McWilliams, a threestar recruit from Pensacola, Fla. However, already at 230 pounds, McWilliams may bulk up enough to play defensive tackle in college. With current Missouri sack leader Michael Sam graduating and Kony Ealy eligible to enter the NFL Draft a year early, the Tigers could lose depth at defensive end quick-
ly. Markus Golden and Shane Ray have emerged as quality defensive ends behind Sam and Ealy, but the depth chart gets thin after that. With the Feb. 5 National Signing Day still more than two months away, Missouri has time to make a late push on the recruiting trail to address the need at defensive end. Either way, Kuligowski has
a track record for developing talent at defensive end, regardless of how many stars are attached to a recruit’s name. “I just try to coach them all,” Kuligowski said at media day on Monday. “I don’t have any other option.” Supervising editor is Greg Bowers: bowersg@missouri. edu, 882-5729.
Haith returns to team without Stefan Jankovic HAITH from page 1B said. “We were playing for him while he was gone, and we will continue to do so once he gets back. It will be just another burst of energy.”
No contact with Jankovic Because of Stefan Jankovic’s decision to transfer, Haith returned to a team that had one fewer player than the one he stepped away from. Haith was suspended for “failure to promote an atmosphere of compliance” during his time at the University of Miami. According to the guidelines of the suspension, he was prohibited from having any contact with players. Haith said he had
planned to talk to Jankovic but had not as of Tuesday. “In Stef’s case, he wants a larger role, and I think most kids today, there’s a microwave society. They want it quick, and my understanding from the staff, he didn’t see that happening,” Haith said. “We’ve got some guys that are coming along. You guys are watching (Johnathan Williams III). He’s putting up 17 rebounds. He’s a nice player. You’ve got two other young post players that are pretty good players, and then obviously, we signed Jakeenan (Gant), who I’m really excited about. “It is part of the culture of what’s going on in college athletics. Guys have got to be willing to compete and want to
compete and play. I think we were fair to our players. We’re going to play the guys that produce, but I understand in Stef’s case, he wants a larger role, and he wants to be able to get out there and play.”
Degree of difficulty increasing Haith’s return coincides with the arrival of stiffer competition for Missouri. Starting with tonight’s tilt against Northwestern, five of the Tigers’ eight remaining nonconference opponents belong to major conferences. After playing Northwestern and Nevada on Thursday and Friday in the 2013 Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational, the Tigers will face West Vir-
ginia and UCLA, putting on the line their 77-game winning streak at home against nonconference opponents. Supervising editor is Greg Bowers: bowersg@missouri. edu, 882-5729.
Know the foes 2013 Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational WHO: Northwestern Wildcats (4-2) WHEN: 9:30 p.m. today WHERE: Orleans Arena in Las Vegas WATCH: ESPNU LISTEN: Tiger Radio Network
COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN
THURSDAY, November 28, 2013 — Page 3B
Growing up in the Kreklow family Wayne and Susan Kreklow have raised their family around basketball and volleyball
hopes to continue in college. Wayne Kreklow played at Drake from 1975-1979 and went on to play one season with the Boston Celtics, winning an NBA championship. For Ali Kreklow, the gym has By ABBY HOLMAN always brought her back to volleysports@ColumbiaMissourian.com ball. In an arena that seats 13,611 peoSusan Kreklow said that because ple, there are lots of places to hide. her daughter was around the sport “Come and find me,” the young all the time, her interest and dedicaRyan Kreklow said into a micro- tion can be attributed to those hours phone, his voice bouncing off the in the gym. empty chairs. When their middle child was During one of Ali Kreklow’s Mis- young, Susan and Wayne Kreklow souri volleyball camps, her younger spearheaded a club team for their brother, Ryan, took a microphone daughter and her friends to play and played one of the together. On Oct. 30, many games he and under the watchful his siblings used to eye of her parents, ‘Our coaching has their daughter and entertain themselves in the Hearnes Cenfriends, now her always just been those ter: hide and seek. Rock Bridge volleywhat we do. The ball teammates, won When your parents are both coaches of a Class 4, District kids just became the Division I volleyball 9 title. team, you become a part of that. They “Six of those girls familiar with a gym. have played together Every practice, every were in the gym at since the beginning,” game becomes “take Kreklow said. a very young age, Susan your kid to work” day. “That was what really like it or not.’ “They were in the made last night spegym probably a week cial. It was special for SUSAN KREKLOW after they were born,” me to see them start Director of MU volleyball said Susan Kreksomething and then low, mother of three. take it to a district “In fact, Ricky went to the gym at championship.” Columbia College before we went Although the Rock Bridge team home (from the hospital) because defeated Helias Catholic High we just stopped by there to get School to claim the district title, its something. It’s just part of what season ultimately came to an end in they do.” the sectional tournament with a loss Prior to coaching at Missouri in to Ozark on Nov. 1. 2001, Wayne and Susan Kreklow The Bruins’ postseason tournacoached together at Columbia Col- ment took place at Republic High lege starting in 1990. The couple School on a Saturday that happened have been coaching together for 23 to fall between Friday and Sunyears. day home matches for the Missouri “Our coaching has always just team. been what we do,” Susan Kreklow Wayne Kreklow, head coach of the said. “The kids just became a part Missouri volleyball team, said that of that. They were in the gym at a the key to getting to their children’s very young age, like it or not.” games is juggling. For the boys, the gym meant bas“Sometimes it works, sometimes ketball. The oldest, Ricky Kreklow, it didn’t, but you always found a a junior at California, plays guard way,” Susan Kreklow said. “All for the Golden Bears. The young- three of them were very involved est, Ryan Kreklow, a junior at Rock at a very young age, with multiple Bridge, also plays basketball and sports, on multiple teams and that
just requires multiple people.” Sometimes those multiple people were nannies. Other times, they were teammates or coaches. In 2005, Wayne Kreklow took over the head volleyball role for the Tigers, while his wife went from head coach to assistant. As their children continued to be more involved, however, the juggling became more difficult. In 2008, Susan Kreklow reverted to director of volleyball to be able to have a more active role in the activities of their kids. “Part of the position I have now is because we wanted to make sure someone was available to go with the kids,” Susan Kreklow said. “I have been a head coach, I have been an assistant coach and now I’m in a director’s position. So that if I need to get away, if someone needs to stay, that’s probably the best position to stay. I don’t do it unless we have to.” Although volleyball is a large part of the Kreklows’ lives, backing their children has always been the goal. When Ricky Kreklow’s first game of the season was not televised, and neither parent could attend due to their own games, Susan was dejected. With a 2,000-mile distance between California and Columbia, attendance at Golden Bear games is difficult. The parents make a point to attend as many games as possible, or at least watch them on television. For the younger two, attendance at games and events is easier, but still a struggle with a tight schedule. “I understand. I get it,” Ali Kreklow said. “They come to every game they can and if they can’t make a game here or there, it’s no sweat off my back. I totally understand that it’s their job, it’s what they do. It’s not normal, but I’m used to it, growing up in that atmosphere.” Now, Ali Kreklow will be immersed in that atmosphere. On Nov. 13 she signed a letter of intent to play volleyball at Missouri, under the coaching of her parents. The signing of their daughter marks the second of the children to play for the Tigers. Ricky Kreklow
49ers’ Crabtree prepares for possible season debut
played basketball his freshman year at Missouri before transferring. Wayne and Susan Kreklow’s niece Molly Kreklow also plays volleyball for Missouri. Although there is still another year until his youngest son graduates, Wayne Kreklow said that when
TONY AVELAR/The Associated Press
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree runs against the Green Bay Packers in San Francisco on Jan. 12. Crabtree is back on the practice field almost six months since a devastating right Achilles’ tendon tear that sent him to the operating table. NFC champion Niners said from the beginning they thought he would return this season after Crabtree was a huge reason the franchise reached the Super Bowl again for the first time in 18 years. Rams coach Jeff Fisher is preparing his defense as if Crabtree will be on the field and preparing for a variety of ways Crabtree might be utilized. “It’s hard for us to predict,” Fisher said. “It gives them an additional weapon. Michael’s an outstanding player. Hope he might wait another week,” Fisher said. “We’re expecting him to play. You go back and look before the injury and what he did for them, and we’re familiar with that. Our young group of DBs is going to be challenged. ... Certainly you’re not going to play the player if he’s not fit to play, 100 percent and fully recovered from the injury.” Everybody involved is eager to see what Crabtree’s presence could mean to make the offense that much more explosive. San Francisco’s passing attack sits in last place at 32nd in the NFL. “It could be real dangerous,” running back Frank Gore said. “I’m happy to see that. If he feels good, I think he’ll play. He looks good to me in practice. Hopefully he’ll play. Crab’s a beast, man.”
the kids are gone, things might be less of a juggling act. “In a sense it will make what we are doing here easier,” Wayne Kreklow said. “We won’t have to balance all those other things.” Supervising editor is Greg Bowers: bowersg@missouri.edu, 882-5729.
Iron Bowl highlights week of SEC rivalry games No. 1 Alabama at No. 4 Auburn is the main attraction in the SEC this week By DAVID BRANDT
By JANIE McCAULEY
The Associated Press SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Just as the passing game has started to click for the San Francisco 49ers at last, here comes Michael Crabtree. The team’s top wide receiver from 2012 is back on the active roster six months after Achilles tendon surgery and poised to make his season debut Sunday against St. Louis if all goes as hoped during practice this week. “There’s things he does that he’s the best in football at, and that certainly bodes well for us and we’re excited about it,” coach Jim Harbaugh said Wednesday. “Catching the ball, there’s routes that he runs, tackles he breaks, plays that he makes. There’s evidence there.” Adding Crabtree to the mix for the 49ers (7-4) would provide a big boost to a receiving corps that made significant strides in a 27-6 win at Washington on Monday night. Crabtree became Colin Kaepernick’s top target last year and had career bests of 85 receptions for 1,105 yards and nine touchdowns. “I’m good,” Crabtree said, but he wouldn’t elaborate. He was activated from the physically unable to perform list Tuesday to the 53-man active roster. Harbaugh won’t tip his hand too early in the week, while also noting that everything depends on how Crabtree gets through practice. “Good meetings this morning. Good sessions there. Bright-eyed and ready to go,” Harbaugh said before the team practiced Wednesday. “Optimistic like I said the other day. Hope for the best, and we’ll have a plan if he’s not able to go. It’s pretty much that simple.” Mario Manningham continues to impress playing opposite Anquan Boldin after three games back following knee surgery last year. Manningham hopes his unit can build off a strong performance and develop some consistency. “We’ve just got to do it every week. We can’t be inconsistent,” Manningham said. “We’ve got to come out like that every week.” Manningham and tight end Vernon Davis each made four catches at Washington, while Boldin had five receptions and a pair of touchdowns. Now, if Crabtree is back in the mix, defenses will have a harder time double-teaming Davis downfield. “It will be great to have Crab back. He’s a great talent,” left tackle Joe Staley said. “Everybody knows what he can do and is excited to see him back out there. I know he’s excited to get back out there, the way he competes and all the hard work he’s put in to get back.” Kaepernick isn’t ready to guess whether he might be throwing passes Crabtree’s way again this weekend. “That’s going to be his call 100 percent,” Kaepernick said. Crabtree has made steady progress back from his injury. He tore his right Achilles tendon during 7-on-7 drills in an organized team activity May 21 and then had surgery. The
KELLY A. COLEMAN/Missourian
Ali Kreklow, a Rock Bridge senior, is joined by her mother, Susan Kreklow, on Nov. 13 as she signs the paperwork to accept an offer to play volleyball at MU. Kreklow’s father, Wayne Kreklow, is the Missouri volleyball coach, and her mother is the director of volleyball.
The Associated Press It’s rivalry week for several Southeastern Conference teams, and many are playing for more than just bragging rights. This year’s Iron Bowl — featuring No. 1 Alabama at No. 4 Auburn — is the main attraction. The winner clinches the SEC’s Western Division and a trip to Atlanta for the league championship game on Dec. 7. It’s a showdown full of intrigue: Nick Saban’s unstoppable Alabama machine against the upstart Tigers, who have had an impressive turnaround under first-year coach Gus Malzahn. But several other matchups also have postseason implications. The Missouri-Texas A&M matchup pits the two former Big 12 foes against one another. If the fifth-ranked Tigers win, they’ll clinch the SEC’s Eastern Division. If they lose, No. 10 South Carolina goes to Atlanta to play for the SEC crown. Also on the schedule: No. 2 Florida State at Florida, Georgia Tech at Georgia, Mississippi at Mississippi State, Arkansas at No. 15 LSU, No. 6 Clemson at South Carolina, Wake Forest at Vanderbilt and Tennessee at Kentucky. Alabama and Auburn have never been ranked this high at the same time for the Iron Bowl. That only adds to the stakes of what is one of college football’s most heated rivalries. “I love these kinds of games,” Alabama safety
Landon Collins said. “They’re going to talk a lot of trash, and that’s the type of thing I like. I don’t like quiet games — it takes that fire out of me.” Collins will get his wish. Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium figures to be the loudest it’s been in a long time. “Everybody’s going to be playing their best football,” Auburn center Reese Dismukes said. “The guy across from you is going to be playing his best. You’re going to be playing your best, and it’s going to be a hostile environment that you live for.” The two newest additions to the SEC will also engage in a must-see game when Texas A&M travels to Missouri. The Tigers have bounced back from last year’s 5-7 season, improving to 10-1 overall and 6-1 in league play. Texas A&M had a disappointing loss to LSU last weekend but still has defending Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel under center. Missouri’s stadium also is expected to be electric on Saturday. “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Missouri offensive lineman Max Copeland said. “The bigger the stakes, the funner it gets. We’re rock and rollers. All our chips are in, man.” When Clemson and South Carolina play on Saturday night it will be the first time both teams are in the top 10 at the same time for the instate rivalry. The Gamecocks are also trying to beat Clemson for an unprecedented fifth straight time But South Carolina will have one eye on the Tigers and the other in Columbia, Mo. The Gamecocks need Texas A&M to beat Missouri
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to keep its SEC title hopes alive. If that happens, South Carolina and Missouri would both be 6-2 in the league, but the Gamecocks have the tiebreaker because of their headto-head win over the Tigers. The Florida Gators are struggling through a disappointing 4-7 season, capped by an embarrassing 26-20 loss to FCS opponent Georgia Southern last weekend. The loss secured the program’s first losing season since 1979. The injury-riddled Gators are four-touchdown underdogs this weekend at home against No. 2 Florida State. There will be no postseason for Florida, so players are hoping to wreck Florida State’s dream season as consolation. “This is the season for us,” Florida offensive lineman Kyle Koehne said. “This is our bowl game. This is our big game of the year.” Georgia quarterback Hutson Mason will be making his first career start against Georgia Tech, replacing senior Aaron Murray, who is out for the rest of the season after suffering a season-ending knee injury last week against Kentucky. Georgia is 11-1 against Georgia Tech under coach Mark Richt, who said this year’s game will be a good test to find out if Mason “can handle the pressure of the job.” The stakes are also high in tonight’s Egg Bowl. Mississippi State must beat Mississippi to become bowl eligible for a fourth straight season. Bulldogs’ coach Dan Mullen has a 3-1 record against the Rebels.
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Page 4B — THURSDAY, November 28, 2013
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Chiefs’ Hali plans to play against Broncos The pass rusher plans to play despite spraining his right ankle in last weekend’s loss
pass rusher Justin Houston, who had hurt his right elbow moments later. Chiefs coach Andy Reid described Houston’s injury as an elbow subluxation — a minor dislocation — but he was still undergoing tests. By DAVE SKRETTA Regardless, Houston is almost cerThe Associated Press tain to miss Sunday’s game against KANSAS CITY — The Kansas Denver, and that means it will be City Chiefs hope to have at least half even more important for the Chiefs their fearsome pass rushing duo to get Hali back on the field. when they welcome Peyton Man“I thought I’d be fine, but when I ning and the Denver Broncos to stepped on it and I felt so much pain, Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday. I felt like I could play through it,” Just how effective Hali said of his injuTamba Hali will be is ry. “But every time I another question. pushed, I could barely ‘I wasn’t too Hali said before walk. practice Wednesday “They were trying optimistic, but a that he plans to play to get me back out day later, I feel despite spraining his there, doing all kinds right ankle in last of things, seeing if I better. I keep weekend’s loss to San could push off on it, telling the guys, and I couldn’t,” Hali Diego. The two-time Pro Bowl linebacker “I wasn’t too optikeep laughing and said. participated in the mistic, but a day later, morning walk-through you’ll feel better, so I feel better. I keep and said he’d been telling the guys, keep receiving treatment I’ve been laughing.’ laughing and you’ll on the ankle all week. feel better, so I’ve TAMBA HALI “We’re all hurt, but been laughing.” Chiefs pass rusher you have to believe Hali said he didn’t you can make plays,” feel any additional said Hali, who is second on the team pressure to get back on the field with nine sacks. “I just want to be because of the high-profile status REED HOFFMANN/The Associated Press ready to play on Sunday. I mean, just of Sunday’s game. The Chiefs and be honest with my body and myself. Broncos are both 9-2 and tied atop Oakland Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor is sacked by Kansas City Chiefs If I can play, I’ll play. ... I feel opti- the AFC West. Denver has already outside linebackers Justin Houston and Tamba Hali during the second half in mistic about being out there.” beaten Kansas City once this season. Kansas City on Oct. 13. That’s a much better feeling than With a loss, the Chiefs would face Hali had when he gingerly walked a two-game deficit with four games want to see me do stuff out there, was the case this past weekend, Dezoff the field last Sunday, climbed into to go with the Broncos holding the I’ll do it,” Hali said. “I just want to man Moses would fill the other spot. a waiting cart and was driven up the tiebreaker by virtue of their head- be ready to play Sunday.” “As far as I know, they’re runtunnel to the Chiefs locker room. to-head record. If either outside linebacker is ning everything as normal,” Moses He spent the second half of a 41-38 “It all depends on what the train- unable to play, Frank Zombo would said. “Coach has a great defense loss to the Chargers alongside fellow ing staff wants me to do. If they start in his place. If both are out, as installed, and we’re going to do our
best to execute it and get the job done.” It’s hardly a surprise that Hali is trying desperately to get back on the field. Now in his eighth season, he’s only missed two games in his career. The first was in 2008, when he sprained the same ankle in a game against New Orleans. The other was last year’s season-opener, when he was suspended for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. “I think there’s a good chance he’s there, but we’ll see,” Reid said. “Every day he’s made progress. That he went through the walk-through I thought was a big step. He’s going to tell me he’s going to play — that’s what he’s telling me. But again, we have to make sure he’s going to be safe to be out there. We’re not going to put him in a position to worsen the injury.” Reid said defensive tackle Mike DeVito should be available against Denver after missing last week’s game with a knee injury. Right tackle Eric Fisher and right guard Jon Asamoah also could be back after dealing with shoulder injuries. Defensive back Sanders Cummings, who was on short-term injured reserve after breaking his collarbone in training camp, had some inflammation in the same shoulder that he hurt. Still, the news was mostly positive Wednesday on the injury front. Especially as it pertained to their veteran pass rusher. “The training staff has done a great job of jumping on the injury,” Hali said. “It’s just a blessing I was able to jump back in and start doing things.”
Broncos faced with fumbling problem With Broncos’ Kevin Vickerson injured, first-round pick says he’s ‘ready to go’ By EDDIE PELLS
The Associated Press ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Denver Broncos lead the league in an exhaustive list of offensive categories: Points, yards, passing, first downs, third down efficiency. Oh, and fumbles. What once looked like a quirk — an odd curiosity for the league’s most prolific offense — is now turning into a trend. What once looked like a nuisance — one or two fewer scoring opportunities each week for a team that was scoring plenty — has now cost the Broncos a game. Denver’s four turnovers, which included three lost fumbles, led to 17 New England points last Sunday in a 34-31 overtime loss. “Regardless of how good you are, that’s the kind of thing that can really cripple you and we’ve got to protect the football better,” interim coach Jack Del Rio said. Heading into Sunday’s game at Kansas City, Denver (9-2) has fumbled a leagueleading 26 times and lost 16. That’s six more fumbles and four more lost than the next-worst teams on the list. All that is part of Denver’s minus-3 turnover ratio, second-worst among the 11 teams who own or share the lead in their respective divisions. Leading the way: Peyton Manning, who has fumbled 10 times and lost six. That statistic is skewed, of course, because quarterbacks almost always fumble more given the number of times they handle the ball. The real ‘X’ factor as the Broncos head into the home-
stretch of the season are the Moreno. numbers farther down the Moreno, who rushed for a list and what, for the past career-high 224 yards last two seasons at least, has week, was banished to the been Denver’s method of inactive list for eight straight dealing with those who can’t games after fumbling last hang on. season in Week 2. Injuries Six weeks ago, Ronnie Hill- provided him with a second man fumbled for the second chance and he closed out the straight game; he hasn’t been season as the starter. His on the active roster since. dependability as a blocker, “It can happen anywhere. pass catcher and, yes, sureYou won’t see it coming,” Hill- handed ball carrier is what man said. “It’s mechanics and gave him — and has helped just keeping it wrapped up. him keep — the starting nod Having it in your mind that this year. He’s fumbled it a you’re going grand total of to get up and once, and recovyou’re going to ered it himself, Heading into have the ball.” since he came Sunday’s game back from his Rookie Montee Ball cartwo-month at Kansas City, ried the ball benching. 31 times over But how many Denver (9-2) has the first three more 37-carry weeks, but lost fumbled a league- nights, the likes two fumbles which he had leading 26 times of over that span, against New and lost 16. too. He got only England, can 35 carries over Moreno stomthe next seven ach? Big quesgames. His carries started tion now: Who on the list of increasing again at around flawed backups — rookie the same time Hillman dis- C.J. Anderson hasn’t been appeared and Ball was hit- charged with a fumble yet but ting stride last week — 40 has been involved in two bad yards on seven carries. exchanges with Manning — Then, he lost a fumble in do the Broncos trust to spell the third quarter that led to Moreno? New England’s second touch“I have great trust in my down. Ball wasn’t seen again entire room,” running backs that night. coach Eric Studesville said. “I let a lot of people down,” “It’s a talented room. ... The he said. “But you’ve got to young guys, they’re going to move on. I’m just going back get better and better. And to the basics, not taking ball- we emphasize it all the time: handling drills for granted ‘Hey, our responsibility is to and I’m not going to put the get up with the ball at the end ball on the ground.” of every down.’ They know For advice on how to han- we’re going to work on it. And dle fumbling and demotions, they all know the importance Hillman and Ball only need of it. But somewhere in that look down the row in the process, we’ve got to get that locker room at Knowshon done.”
By ARNIE STAPLETON
The Associated Press ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Defensive tackle Terrance Knighton took Sylvester Williams aside Wednesday in light of Kevin Vickerson’s seasonending hip injury and told the Denver Broncos’ first-round draft pick it’s time for him to step up, speak up and grow up. “Sly has the ability to be a game-wrecker,” Knighton said in the locker room later. “He just has to get the game down mentally. ... He needs to be a little bit more vocal. Our goal is to win a Super Bowl, so he’s going to have to grow up quick.” Williams has been a gameday inactive three times this season, twice in the past four games. The only time he’s played more than 19 snaps was Sunday night at New England, when Vickerson dislocated his right hip and Williams ending up playing 36 snaps in Denver’s 34-31 overtime loss to the Patriots. What Williams lacks in experiences he makes up for in exuberance. He said he’s ready to fill the void by plugging the holes and crashing the pocket beginning Sunday at Kansas City in a clash of 9-2 teams vying for AFC West supremacy — and maybe home-field advantage in the playoffs. “I’m going to welcome the role, man. I’m just ready to go out and help my team win and play the best that I can, and hopefully prove to my coaches that I’m ready to step in and be a starter,” Williams said. “I’m sorry to see my big brother go down, and I hope he gets
‘I’m going to welcome the role, man. I’m just ready to go out and help my team win and play the best that I can, and hopefully prove to my coaches that I’m ready to step in and be a starter.’ SYLVESTER WILLIAMS
Denver Broncos’ first-round draft pick
healthy and can come back again and help us next year, but as far as me, I’m ready to go, man. I’m ready to play football.” Third-year pro Mitch Unrein also will see his role expanded and the Broncos signed Sione Fua as a backup when they put Vickerson on season-ending injured reserve Wednesday. Fua started a dozen games over three seasons in Carolina, which waived him two weeks ago. Vickerson had 22 tackles and one sack — of Tom Brady on Sunday night before he got hurt — while starting every game this season and helping Denver rank fourth against the run. Williams has six tackles in seven games as a sub. “The good thing about him is he had me and Vick to learn from throughout the season and we shared all of our secrets, all of our techniques with him,” Knighton said. Vickerson is the second Denver defensive starter to get hurt this month, joining safety Rahim Moore (leg), who was put on recallable IR. “I think it’s a huge blow,” Knighton said. “He’s our motor. He gets us going up front. And obviously me and him have
built a relationship where we know how each other plays. It’s almost to where we don’t have to say anything to each other.” Knighton said he didn’t think there was a better D-tackle tandem in all of football. “Obviously, we don’t have the eight, nine sacks like the J.J. Watts or the Geno Atkins,” he said. “But I think that what me and him meant to our defense, being stout in the middle, not allowing quarterbacks to step up, things like that, when it comes to that, I think me and him were the best in the league.” Vickerson visited with his teammates at their Dove Valley headquarters Wednesday morning, and Knighton said his spirits were good. “I think everybody’s spirits are fine. I think of everybody, it probably hurt me the most,” Knighton said. “Every day the two D-tackles, they build that relationship, and they take pride in being the big guys on the team. We walk through the locker room, everybody moves. That’s just the mentality of D-tackles. I’m going to miss him being out there, but I’m definitely going to play for him and play harder for him and represent him.”
Rams defensive tackle called for roughing when making plays in the middle Michael Brockers was penalized after leveling the Bears’ quarterback By R.B. FALLSTROM
The Associated Press ST. LOUIS — Officials are so vigilant about protecting the quarterback that Michael Brockers made a textbook hit but still got flagged. St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher praised his defensive tackle right after a 42-21 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday, and the next day, too. Fisher thought Brockers was penalized because the hit was so good. Going forward, he wouldn’t have the Rams’ first-round pick in 2012 change a thing. Brockers has been a force in the middle with 3 ½ sacks for
the Rams (5-6), who play at San Francisco (7-4) this week. “Hopefully it doesn’t get called the next time,” Brockers said Wednesday. “I’m a big human being, so hits are going to look like that. Just playing ball, you know.” Brockers was called for roughing the passer after bulling up the middle and leveling Josh McCown in the second half. Referee Jerome Boger said it was the correct call because the defender led with his helmet into the quarterback’s body. Brockers stayed low and sent McCown flying without making anything close to helmet-tohelmet contact. “I think that’s an example of how to hit the quarterback with the ball in his hand, in my opinion,” Fisher said. “It should not have been called. It was a great
effort, and it was unfortunate it took a sack away from ‘Brock.’ “Head was off to the side, just probably looked like it was too hard of a hit.” Instead of a 9-yard sack and forced fumble that was returned for a touchdown by middle linebacker James Laurinaitis, the Bears had firstand-goal at the 1. Two plays later, Michael Bush punched it in to cut the Rams’ lead to 27-21 with 7:20 to go. “They crushed my dreams,” Laurinaitis joked. “About the 35 yard-line I heard the whistle. I don’t want to look at the play again.” Fisher’s was livid on the sideline, yelling at the officials, and waved both arms down dismissively. Teammates were angry. “I thought that was a perfect form tackle,” end Chris Long said. “I’m not really sure what
they want us to do. We all know what that call looked like.” It could have been a game changer, except the offense responded with a seven-play, 80-yard drive capped by rookie Benny Cunningham’s 9-yard run plus a 2-point conversion pass from Kellen Clemens to Isaiah Pead that made it a 14-point gap with just over three minutes to go. Defensive end Robert Quinn added another late score when he sacked and striped McCown, then scooped up the ball on a fumble return. The 21-point margin made it easier to be philosophical. “You’ve got great athletes playing this game, and you expect the referees to catch everything,” Brockers said. “Stuff happens so fast. You can’t really blame them.” Brockers was the 14th pick
in 2012 after two seasons at LSU. Defensive tackles typically don’t accumulate a lot of impact statistics, clogging up the middle while others make the stop, but that’s not the case with the 6-foot-5, 322-pounder. “He’s playing the run good. He’s getting good pressure on the quarterback. He’s healthy and finishing plays,” Fisher said. “Obviously, if you don’t have the inside push, you’re not going to get the effectiveness on the edge.” Brockers missed most of the first month of his rookie season with a high right ankle sprain but then got immediately plugged into the lineup and finished with four sacks and led St. Louis linemen with 63 total tackles. He has 43 total tackles this year, with two forced fumbles.
None of the three players sidelined with concussion-like symptoms against the Bears practiced Wednesday. Fisher was noncommittal about running back Zac Stacy, guard Chris Williams and cornerback Trumaine Johnson’s availability this week. “All three of them are doing well,” Fisher said. “They’re all going through the process right now, and they’re all doing well.” Safety T.J. McDonald also was held out after returning last week from a broken leg with what the Rams called a shin issue. Laurinaitis needed 11 stitches to close a cut on his right ear first injured on a helmet-to-helmet hit with Colts quarterback Andrew Luck before the bye week. The ear was re-injured on a hit with Bush.
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Tigers silence Bulldogs to earn first road win against a top-10 opponent since 1981 TOP: Missouri running back Henry Josey dives into the end zone for the final score to seal the Tigers’ 41-26 win over the No. 7 Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday in Athens, Ga. LEFT: Members of the Missouri football team celebrate their win.
MORE INSIDE PLAY 1B TRICK Wide receiver Bud Sasser throws crucial touchdown pass in the fourth quarter
COSTLY WIN While the defense dominated, James Franklin left the game with a serious shoulder injury
4B SCENES FROM THE GAME
KEVIN COOK Missourian
Nixon drafts proposal to open Arch, Scenic Riverways Obama agrees to let states pay to reopen their national parks By JACK SUNTRUP
news@ColumbiaMissourian.com As national parks open across the country after almost two weeks of closure, Missouri officials began drafting a proposal for the state to reopen some of the state’s parkland while the federal government remains closed. On Thursday, the Obama administration said it would allow states to open national parks so long as
the states cover the cost of bringing furloughed federal employees back to work. Gov. Jay Nixon on Friday released a statement saying that his administration is working on a proposal to reopen the Ozark National Scenic Riverways and the Gateway Arch, among other land not specified in the statement. “These parks and riverways are national treasures that draw millions of visitors each year and generate significant economic activity for our state,” Nixon said. The Obama administration on Thursday responded to public pres-
‘These parks and riverways are national treasures that draw millions of visitors each year and generate significant economic activity for our state.’ JAY NIXON
Governor of Missouri
sure from governors, local officials and businesses dependent on the parks to allow some parks to open. By Saturday morning, Utah, Colorado, South Dakota, Arizona and New York had agreed to pay to open their parks even as some governors
balked at paying the money without a guarantee that they would be reimbursed. Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval and Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee said their states could not afford to open their parks.
Orr Street cleanup steeped in history Ameren Missouri works to resolve contamination from downtown gas plant By CALEB O’BRIEN
news@ColumbiaMissourian.com
In 1994, Union Electric Company cleaned up part of the contamination left by its gas plant in downtown Columbia. Now, nearly two decades and one name change later, Ameren Missouri will finish the job. The second round of cleanup is taking place because Ameren recently moved its service center from 210 Orr St. Construction of the new building began in 2008 but faced lengthy delays, said Mike Holman, director of gas operations for
Ameren. With the old service center vacant, the building can be demolished and the cleanup completed. The manufactured gas plant that formerly occupied the site began production in 1875, using a process that involved passing steam over coke, a derivative of coal. The gas was then purified and stored in large tanks before distribution. The construction of natural gas pipelines in the state brought cheaper fuel to Columbia and spelled the demise of the plant in 1932. But the plant’s presence in Columbia has lingered long after gas production ceased: The manufacturing process created byproducts such as tars, oils and gas purifier wastes, according to an Ameren fact sheet about the cleanup. Although
these byproducts were mostly sold for other uses, the Orr Street site was contaminated when they leaked or were spilled. Demolition is scheduled to begin in late November or early December, Holman said. David Pluhar, a consultant for Ameren, told the Columbia City Council on Sept. 16 that a temporary structure will be erected over much of the excavation site. The structure will be ventilated through massive activated carbon filters in order to capture dust and vapors from the excavation. Once the temporary structure is built, Ameren will host an open house to explain the cleanup to the public.
Please see CLEANUP, page 6A
Meanwhile in Utah, five national parks will be opened for 10 days at a cost to the state of $1.67 million. In South Dakota, a combination of state dollars and corporate donations will open Mount Rushmore on Monday at a cost of $15,200 per day. Arizona officials brokered a deal with the federal government to reopen parts of the Grand Canyon for seven days at a cost of $651,000 or $93,000 a day, with nearby businesses potentially pitching in. Rep. Jason Smith, whose district includes the Ozark National Scenic
Please see PARKS, page 6A
ALMETA CRAYTON
INDEX
The former councilwoman, hospitalized Tuesday at Boone Hospital Center, went from serious to critical condition Friday. Crayton was still in critical condition Saturday afternoon.
Abby Calendar Classifieds Life Story Lottery Opinion Sports Sudoku
SCHOOL BOARD The school board is expected to discuss overcrowding at Mill Creek Elementary School at its meeting Monday. Page 6A
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SECTION B, Sunday & Monday, October 13-14, 2013
TIGERS 41
Bulldog fans had bodypaint of a Tiger diss from 2012. Page 3B
BULLDOGS 26
KEVIN COOK/Missourian
BITTER/SWEET LEFT: Missouri quarterback James Franklin leaves the field with his shoulder in a sling after sustaining an apparent injury in the fourth quarter of the Tigers’ 41-26 win Saturday at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga. RIGHT: Missouri offensive lineman Justin Britt celebrates L’Damian Washington’s touchdown catch in the first half.
Franklin could be out for weeks Missouri silences No. 7 Georgia
By ALEXANDER SMITH sports@ColumbiaMissourian.com ATHENS, Ga. — A sea of white, black and gold poured past the Georgia marching band and through the southeast tunnel on Saturday afternoon. The wave of giddy Tigers skipped, hopped and sprinted out of Sanford Stadium with their first big Southeastern Conference upset, and a small crowd of shouting Tigers fans peered over the side of the concrete to voice their pleasure. But one of the final players to walk through the madness had his right arm in a sling and a deflated look on his face. James Franklin was hurt again. After a 2012 season in which he missed three games for various medical reasons, Franklin was finally back on track. He powered through four non-conference wins and then scored five total touchdowns last Saturday at Vanderbilt. Georgia didn’t seem to have an answer for
him until midway through the fourth quarter. Franklin scrambled to his left and flipped the ball out of bounds before two Bulldogs smashed him to the turf. On the next play — a designed run — he gained five yards before curiously sprinting straight to sideline to avoid contact. It was to be his last play in Missouri’s biggest game of the season so far. The damage: a separated shoulder. “I really feel for James,” head coach Gary Pinkel said. “He was really, really visibly upset after the game, and he was having a great year.” Pinkel refused to put an exact timetable on his senior quarterback’s recovery, but he mentioned that the Tigers would prepare for a multi-week absence. In the meantime, Maty Mauk will call the signals. The redshirt freshman was
Please see FRANKLIN, page 2B
By MATTHEW FAIRBURN sports@ColumbiaMissourian.com ATHENS, Ga. — Missouri offensive coordinator Josh Henson thought he was going to look like an idiot. The 18-point, halftime lead Missouri had built against Georgia had shrunk to just two points. The 92,000-plus fans packed into Sanford Stadium were growing louder with each second that ticked off the clock. Starting quarterback James Franklin had just exited the game with a shoulder injury, and Henson dialed up his gutsiest play call of the season. The Tigers call it “Colt 45.”Quarterback Maty Mauk threw the ball to wide receiver Bud Sasser, who scrambled toward the sideline, red jerseys closing in on him. L’Damian Washington was streaking down the sideline, covered tightly by Georgia cornerback Shaq Wiggins. With each millisecond that Sasser held the ball, Henson’s nerves heightened. Then the
wide receiver became a quarterback, leaning back and lofting a wobbly pass through the air toward Washington, who was a few strides from the end zone. Washington was surprised to see the ball coming toward him, but he trusted it would get there. He jumped in the air, accompanied by Wiggins, and out-muscled the cornerback for the ball, hitting the grass with his second touchdown of the day and the decisive play in Missouri’s 41-24 win over No. 7 Georgia. “Fourteen things could go wrong,” Henson said. “They all flashed through my head right after I called the play. It’s a dangerous call.” “But I felt like we had to be aggressive to score and go win the game.” Henson didn’t look like an idiot. Instead, he was a genius for wanting to call something different, simply because they wanted different results.
Please see TIGERS, page 2B
CARDINALS 2 - DODGERS 0
Rookie is stellar in Game 2
By R.B. FALLSTROM
The Associated Press ST. LOUIS — Matched against ace Clayton Kershaw, the only thing Michael Wacha lacked was a no-hit watch. “He’s becoming a guy a lot of teams wish they drafted,” teammate David Freese said. “What he’s done is remarkable, especially on this stage.” Wacha stared down a bases-loaded test in the sixth inning and pitched into the seventh, and the kids in the bullpen also were impervious to October pressure, keeping the Los Angeles Dodgers bats silent for the second straight day
and winning 1-0 Saturday for a 2-0 lead in the NL championship series. “I’m kind of at a loss for words to describe him,” said fellow rookie Kevin Siegrist, who got a big out to end the seventh. “It’s kind of ridiculous how well he’s done so far.” The Cardinals managed only two hits off Kershaw and the Dodgers, but Jon Jay’s sacrifice fly set up by Freese’s double and A.J. Ellis’ passed ball in the fifth stood up. The Dodgers’ scoreless streak in the NLCS reached 19 innings after they averaged 6 ½ runs in a four-game division series against Atlanta. Rookie fire-
baller Trevor Rosenthal struck out the side in the ninth with a heater reaching 101 mph, fanning pinch-hitter Andre Ethier on three pitches to end it. A day after outlasting Los Angeles 3-2 in 13 innings, the Cardinals moved two wins away from the World Series. Game 3 is Monday at Dodger Stadium, with Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright facing rookie Hyun-Jin Ryu. The Dodgers have already used their top two starters and have nothing to show for it. “We don’t get too far ahead of ourselves,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “We don’t deny also what’s happened here the last two days.”
JEFF ROBERSON/The Associated Press
Cardinals starter Michael Wacha celebrates after striking out Dodgers’ Juan Uribe with bases loaded to end the inning in Game 2 of the NLCS Saturday.
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Page 2B — SUNDAY & MONDAY, October 13-14, 2013
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
NFL
SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE
AMERICAN CONFERENCE
East Conference All Games W L PF PA W L PF PA Missouri 2 0 92 54 6 0 274 138 South Carolina 3 1 152 101 5 1 207 136 Florida 3 1 91 51 4 2 131 78 Georgia 3 1 145 143 4 2 225 202 Tennessee 0 2 48 65 3 3 190 168 Kentucky 0 2 35 59 1 4 115 128 Vanderbilt 0 3 88 125 3 3 202 159 West Conference All Games W L PF PA W L PF PA Alabama 2 0 74 42 5 0 185 61 LSU 3 1 152 97 6 1 290 154 Auburn 2 1 75 77 5 1 206 113 Texas A&M 1 1 87 82 4 1 246 154 Mississippi 1 2 61 90 3 2 136 126 Mississippi St 0 2 46 83 2 3 162 118 Arkansas 0 3 50 127 3 4 163 193 Saturday’s results Missouri 41, Georgia 26 South Carolina 52, Arkansas 7 Auburn 62, W. Carolina 3 LSU 17, Florida 6 Alabama at Kentucky (n) Bowling Green at Mississippi St. (n) Texas A&M at Mississippi (n) Saturday, Oct. 19 Georgia at Vanderbilt, 11 a.m. South Carolina at Tennessee, 11 a.m. Florida at Missouri, 11:21 a.m. Auburn at Texas A&M, 2:30 p.m. Arkansas at Alabama, 6 p.m. LSU at Mississippi, 6 p.m. 7 21 0 13 7 3 10 6
— —
41 26
First quarter Ga—Douglas 7 pass from Murray (Morgan kick), 3:44. Mo—J.Franklin 5 run (Baggett kick), 1:00. Second quarter Mo—Washington 16 pass from J.Franklin (Baggett kick), 12:33. Ga—FG Morgan 29, 9:54. Mo—Murphy 36 run (Baggett kick), 5:56. Mo—Sam 21 fumble return (Baggett kick), 5:46. Third quarter Ga—FG Morgan 28, 13:09. Ga—Wooten 7 pass from Murray (Morgan kick), 3:23. Fourth quarter Ga—Conley 10 pass from Murray (pass failed), 12:15. Mo—Washington 40 pass from Sasser (kick failed), 9:22. Mo—Josey 7 run (Baggett kick), 2:18. A—92,746. Mo 23 37-142 233 22-31-0 7 7-38.4 0-0 10-57 30:37
First downs Rushes-yards Passing Comp-Att-Int Return Yards Punts-Avg. Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Time of Possession
Geo 26 31-164 290 25-45-2 24 4-36.3 2-2 5-40 29:23
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING—Missouri, Murphy 5-57, Josey 11-51, Mauk 3-12, Hansbrough 4-12, J.Franklin 12-12, Team 2/-2. Georgia, Green 12-87, Douglas 14-70, Murray 4-5, Hicks 1-2. PASSING—Missouri, J.Franklin 18-27-0-170, Mauk 3-3-0-23, Sasser 1-1-0-40. Georgia, Murray 25-45-2-290. RECEIVING—Missouri, Washington 7-115, Green-Beckham 4-35, Lucas 3-39, Murphy 3-16, Josey 2/-2, Sasser 1-21, Hansbrough 1-5, Clark 1-4. Georgia, Douglas 6-43, Conley 5-60, Green 5-42, Wooten 4-83, Lynch 2-36, Tibbs 1-11, R.Davis 1-9, Erdman 1-6.
MISSOURI’S SCHEDULE 58 38 45 41 51 41 Oct. 19 Oct. 26 Nov. 2 Nov. 9 Nov. 23 Nov. 30
Murray St. Toledo at Indiana Arkansas St. at Vanderbilt at Georgia Florida South Carolina Tennessee at Kentucky at Mississippi Texas A&M
14 23 28 19 28 26 11:21 a.m. TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA
POSTSEASON BASEBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES Best-of-7 AMERICAN LEAGUE All games televised by Fox Saturday: Detroit at Boston (n) Today: Detroit (Scherzer 21-3) at Boston (Buchholz 12-1), 7:07 p.m. Tuesday: Boston (Lackey 10-13) at Detroit (Verlander 13-12), 3:07 p.m. Wednesday: Boston (Peavy 12-5) at Detroit (Fister 14-9), 7:07 p.m. Thursday: Boston at Detroit, 7:07 p.m., if necessary Saturday, Oct. 19: Detroit at Boston, 3:37 p.m., if necessary Sunday, Oct. 20: Detroit at Boston, 7:07 p.m., if necessary NATIONAL LEAGUE All games televised by TBS Friday: St. Louis 3, Los Angeles 2, 13 innings Saturday: St. Louis 1, Los Angeles 0, St. Louis leads series 2-0 Monday: St. Louis (Wainwright 19-9) at Los Angeles (Ryu 14-8), 7:07 p.m. Tuesday: St. Louis (Lynn 15-10) at Los Angeles, 7:07 p.m. Wednesday: St. Louis at Los Angeles, 3:07 p.m., if necessary Friday: Los Angeles at St. Louis, 7:37 p.m., if necessary Saturday, Oct. 19: Los Angeles at St. Louis, 7:37 p.m., if necessary
WORLD SERIES Best-of-7 All games televised by Fox Wednesday, Oct. 23: at AL Thursday, Oct. 24: at AL Saturday, Oct. 26: at NL Sunday, Oct. 27: at NL Monday, Oct. 28: at NL, if necessary Wednesday, Oct. 30: at AL, if necessary Thursday, Oct. 31: at AL, if necessary
Totals
h 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0
Los Angeles St. Louis
000 000 000 — 000 010 00x —
0 1
E—M.Carpenter (1). DP—Los Angeles 1. LOB—Los Angeles 6, St. Louis 2. 2B—A.Ellis (1), Freese (1). 3B—M.Carpenter (1). SB—M. Ellis (1). SF—Jay. Los Angeles Kershaw L,0-1 Belisario Howell
IP
H
R
6 1 1
2 0 0
1 0 0
0 0 0
1 0 1
5 0 0
5 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
1 0 0 0 0
8 0 0 2 3
St. Louis Wacha W,1-0 62/3 1 Siegrist H,1 /3 1 Choate H,1 /3 Ca.Martinez H,1 2/3 Rosenthal S,1-1 1
WP—Siegrist 2. PB—A.Ellis. T—2:40. A—46,872 (43,975).
W 3 3 3 0
Kansas City Denver Oakland San Diego
W 5 5 2 2
Philadelphia Dallas Washington N.Y. Giants
W 2 2 1 0
New Orleans Carolina Atlanta Tampa Bay
W 5 1 1 0
Chicago Detroit Green Bay Minnesota
W 4 3 2 1
Seattle San Francisco Arizona St. Louis
W 4 3 3 2
East L T Pct PF PA 3 0 .400 135 159 3 0 .400 152 136 3 0 .250 91 112 6 0 .000 103 209 South L T Pct PF PA 0 0 1.000 134 73 3 0 .250 74 58 4 0 .200 122 134 4 0 .000 44 70 North L T Pct PF PA 2 0 .667 172 161 2 0 .600 131 123 2 0 .500 118 97 3 0 .250 115 123 West L T Pct PF PA 1 0 .800 137 81 2 0 .600 113 98 2 0 .600 91 95 3 0 .400 103 141
Today’s games Oakland at Kansas City, noon St. Louis at Houston, noon Carolina at Minnesota, noon Green Bay at Baltimore, noon Philadelphia at Tampa Bay, noon Pittsburgh at N.Y. Jets, noon Cincinnati at Buffalo, noon Detroit at Cleveland, noon Tennessee at Seattle, 3:05 p.m. Jacksonville at Denver, 3:05 p.m. Arizona at San Francisco, 3:25 p.m. New Orleans at New England, 3:25 p.m. Washington at Dallas, 7:30 p.m. Open: Atlanta, Miami Monday’s game Indianapolis at San Diego, 7:40 p.m.
NHL
ER BB SO
‘Lone trumpeter’ continues tradition By ALEXANDER SMITH
sports@ColumbiaMissourian.com ATHENS, Ga. — Twenty minutes before kickoff at Georgia’s Sanford Stadium, the crowd falls silent. The low brass section of the Bulldogs band unleashes a held chord down on the field, but every Bulldog fan points an index finger at a uniformed young woman standing in the corner of the upper deck marked “SOUTH.” Senior trumpeter Nicole Hill begins a slow, mournful version of “Battle Hymn” that lasts no longer than 10 seconds. Just as the goosebumps begin to recede, the voice of legendary announcer Larry Munson echoes across the stadium. The beloved Munson died in 2011, but he lives on in KEVIN COOK/Missourian the pregame ceremonies. The “lone trumpeter” spec- Twenty minutes before kickoff, Georgia senior Nicole Hill stands in the corner of the upper deck marked tacle is a recent innovation in “SOUTH” and plays a slow, mournful version of “Battle Hymn” that lasts no longer than ten seconds. tradition-thick Athens. Around the turn of the millennium, a “I feel really honored,” she The sound system cut out on group of young men wrote the said. “I’m still kind of grasp- Sept. 21 before the trumpeter slowed-down “Battle Hymn” ing that I’m going to be able to could get to his third note, and trumpet solo as a joke, but it To view a video of the lone do this right now.” any anxious musician can ruin stuck. A soft-spoken native of the tempo. trumpeter in action, go to “Everybody was so mes- bit.ly/lonetrumpeter. Savannah, Ga., she dreamed But on Saturday morning, merized by it,” third-year of being the lone trumpeter talent won out over nerves. trumpeter Brian Walker said. since her senior year of high On a day that Hill described “They decided to put it in each week. Hill’s rendition of school. Her family doesn’t fol- as one of the most important the first game. Now we do it “Battle Hymn” was enough to low college football, but they in her life, she performed her at the Dawg Walk” — a pre- land her one of the elite spots. made their first visit to a 14-note solo flawlessly to the game ceremony during which “To be honest,” she said,”I Georgia game to see Hill per- rousing cheers of the Georgia Georgia players walk into the didn’t even think I had a form before one of the nation’s faithful. stadium — “we do it during chance to do it.” largest crowds. “Ever since I was a high the game, and we do it after The most prestigious honor Most of the people in the school senior and I saw it, I the game.” rests with the trumpeter who building would give her their knew that’s what I wanted to This year, approximately 20 performs just before the game full attention. do when I got here,” Hill said. of the 67 Redcoat trumpet- is about to start. “I’m going to try not to look “I just practiced really hard ers were selected for a final On Saturday, that was Hill. at them,” Hill said of the point- because I didn’t think I had a audition. Four trumpeters are Two hours before kickoff, ing crowd. “It’s going to be chance.” selected from that group for the gates were yet to open, but kind of intimidating in front of Greg Bowers is supervising the three game day perfor- Hill was in her perch on the 92,000 people.” editor: bowersg@missouri. mances; one student sits out south side of the stadium. Perfection is not a given. edu, 882-5729.
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FROM THE SPORTS FRONT
EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division GP W L OT Pts Toronto 6 5 1 0 10 Boston 4 3 1 0 6 Detroit 5 3 2 0 6 Tampa Bay 5 3 2 0 6 Ottawa 3 1 0 2 4 Montreal 4 2 2 0 4 Florida 5 2 3 0 4 Buffalo 6 0 5 1 1 Metropolitan Division GP W L OT Pts Pittsburgh 5 4 1 0 8 Carolina 5 2 1 2 6 N.Y. Islanders 5 2 2 1 5 Columbus 4 2 2 0 4 New Jersey 5 0 2 3 3 N.Y. Rangers 5 1 4 0 2 Washington 5 1 4 0 2 Philadelphia 6 1 5 0 2
GF 23 10 13 18 8 13 13 6
GA 15 5 13 14 9 9 21 16
GF 20 10 16 11 11 9 13 8
GA 13 13 13 10 18 25 20 17
WESTERN CONFERENCE Colorado St. Louis Chicago Minnesota Dallas Winnipeg Nashville San Jose Calgary Anaheim Vancouver Phoenix Los Angeles Edmonton
Central Division GP W L OT 5 5 0 0 4 4 0 0 5 3 1 1 5 2 1 2 4 2 2 0 5 2 3 0 5 2 3 0 Pacific Division GP W L OT 4 4 0 0 5 3 0 2 4 3 1 0 5 3 2 0 5 3 2 0 5 3 2 0 5 1 3 1
Pts 10 8 7 6 4 4 4
GF 18 19 15 14 9 14 9
GA 4 7 13 12 11 16 15
Pts 8 8 6 6 6 6 3
GF 21 18 14 16 12 13 17
GA 5 17 11 16 14 14 25
NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Friday’s results Los Angeles 2, Carolina 1, SO Phoenix 2, Philadelphia 1 Florida 6, Pittsburgh 3 Chicago 3, N.Y. Islanders 2 Dallas 4, Winnipeg 1 Calgary 3, New Jersey 2 Saturday’s results St. Louis 5, N.Y. Rangers 3 Boston 3, Columbus 1 Toronto 6, Edmonton 5, OT Detroit 5, Philadelphia 2 Pittsburgh 5, Tampa Bay 4 Colorado 5, Washington 1 Chicago 2, Buffalo 1 Nashville 3, N.Y. Islanders 2 Minnesota 5, Dallas 1 Montreal at Vancouver (n) Ottawa at San Jose (n) Today’s games Phoenix at Carolina, noon Los Angeles at Florida, 2 p.m. New Jersey at Winnipeg, 7 p.m. Ottawa at Anaheim, 7 p.m. Monday’s games Detroit at Boston, noon Edmonton at Washington, 6 p.m. Minnesota at Buffalo, 6:30 p.m.
SPORTS ON THE AIR
St. Louis bi ab r h bi 0 MCrpnt 2b 3 0 1 0 0 Beltran rf 2 0 0 0 0 Hollidy lf 3 0 0 0 0 YMolin c 3 0 0 0 0 Freese 3b 3 1 1 0 0 Descals 3b 0 0 0 0 0 MAdms 1b 3 0 0 0 0 Jay cf 2 0 0 1 0 Kozma ss 2 0 0 0 0 Wacha p 2 0 0 0 0 Siegrist p 0 0 0 0 0 Choate p 0 0 0 0 0 CMrtnz p 0 0 0 0 SRonsn ph 1 0 0 0 Rosnthl p 0 0 0 0 32 0 5 0 Totals 24 1 2 1 r 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Baltimore Cleveland Cincinnati Pittsburgh
POSTSEASON BASEBALL
CARDINALS 1, DODGERS 0
Los Angeles ab Crwfrd lf 4 M.Ellis 2b 4 AdGnzl 1b 3 Puig rf 4 Uribe 3b 4 Schmkr cf 3 Ethier ph 1 A.Ellis c 3 Punto ss 3 Kershw p 2 MYong ph 1 Belisari p 0 Howell p 0
Indianapolis Tennessee Houston Jacksonville
W 4 3 2 0
East L T Pct PF PA 1 0 .800 95 70 2 0 .600 98 116 2 0 .600 114 117 3 0 .400 112 130 South L T Pct PF PA 1 0 .800 139 79 2 0 .600 115 95 3 0 .400 93 139 5 0 .000 51 163 North L T Pct PF PA 2 0 .600 117 110 2 0 .600 101 94 2 0 .600 94 87 4 0 .000 69 110 West L T Pct PF PA 0 0 1.000 128 58 0 0 1.000 230 139 3 0 .400 98 108 3 0 .400 125 129
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
MISSOURI 41, GEORGIA 26 Missouri Georgia
New England N.Y. Jets Miami Buffalo
W 4 3 3 2
TODAY
7 p.m., FOX — American League Championship Series, game 2, Detroit at Boston
MONDAY
7 p.m., TBS — National League Championship Series, game 3, St. Louis at Los Angeles
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE TODAY
Noon, CBS — Regional coverage Noon, FOX — Regional coverage, doubleheader 3 p.m., CBS — Regional coverage 3:25 p.m., FOX — Regional coverage, doubleheader game 7 p.m., NBC — Washington at Dallas
MONDAY
7:25 p.m., ESPN — Indianapolis at San Diego
GOLF
TODAY
8 a.m., TGC — European PGA Tour, Portugal Masters, final round, at Vilamoura, Portugal 1 p.m., TGC — Champions Tour, SAS Championship, final round, at Cary, N.C. 4 p.m., TGC — PGA Tour, Frys.com Open, final round, at San Martin, Calif.
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE MONDAY
6:30 p.m., NBCSN — Minnesota at Buffalo
SOCCER TODAY
8 p.m., ESPN — MLS, Seattle at Portland
EXTREME SPORTS TODAY
3 p.m., NBC — Dew Tour, City Championships, at San Francisco 10 p.m., NBCSN — Dew Tour, City Championships, at San Francisco
Defensive line celebrates strong performance FRANKLIN from page 1B serviceable against Georgia, but his job was simply to control the game and not make a big mistake that would change the momentum of the game. For one play, though, the pressure rested squarely on Mauk’s shoulders. Facing second and nine from the Georgia 32 with less than four minutes remaining, Mauk looked to his left and saw receiver Dorial Green-Beckham pressed at the line of scrimmage with a safety on the hash. He took the snap, looked right to freeze the safety, and then lofted a back shoulder pass to Green-Beckham. The play resulted in a 20-yard completion and set up a short touchdown run by Henry Josey to seal the game. “If I would’ve thrown it a little further, we would’ve had a touchdown,” Mauk said. “But we did what we needed to do.” With Florida coming to Columbia next Saturday, all signs point toward the secondyear player making his first start. He plans on getting plenty of support from Franklin. “I talked to him a little bit (after the game),” Mauk said. “This is James. If you don’t know James, he’s gonna be fine. He’s a strong guy, and the thing is, everybody’s here for him and he knows that. My prayers go out to him, and he’ll be fine.”
The dance The Tigers whooped it up in the locker room after the
final whistle. One of the celebration’s primary features was defensive tackle Marvin Foster. While the fifth-year senior didn’t have a huge impact in the box score, he was in his element on a makeshift dance floor. He showed off his best moves to the delight of his teammates, who egged him on with chants of “Big Marrrrrrrrrvin.” “Big Marv likes to drop it low and get everybody hyped up,” defensive lineman Markus Golden said. The celebration by the defensive line was well deserved. The group made several minor errors — namely, three offsides penalties by Shane Ray — but they hounded Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray and made the defensive play of the game: a strip sack by Ray that Michael Sam ran into the end zone for a 28-10 first-half lead. The Tigers recorded only two sacks on the day, but the second was a drive-snuffing bull rush by Golden in the fourth quarter. “I pulled everybody to the side and said, ‘We’re going to have to win this game. It’s going to come down to the defense,’” Golden said. Murray was on his toes the entire game, and the pressure helped seal the win on the Georgia quarterback’s worst mistake of the day, an underthrown corner route that was intercepted by Randy Ponder to set up Missouri’s final touchdown drive. The win over the Bulldogs gave the Tigers vindication.
“There’s been a lot of games and a lot of teams that we’ve played against that just don’t show us respect,” Ray said. “Even the media doesn’t show us respect. It’s to the point where we don’t really care if people respect us or not. “At the end of the day, we’re gonna come out, we’re gonna play hard-nosed football and we’re gonna execute. Whether you respect us or not after that game, that’s your decision.” Pinkel was eager to discuss the big-picture meaning of the game. “I just think we earned a little more respect,” the coach said. “It went up a couple spots. We learned a lot more about ourselves. “One of the goals of these seniors is to get back to Mizzou’s winning ways. It’s a big deal for them. They came in and inherited a lot of winning. It’s important for them to raise the bar to competing for an SEC championship.”
The call When Pinkel and his Tigers defeated No. 1 Oklahoma three seasons ago, he didn’t leave the stadium until well after midnight. As he drove home, he called his mentor, former Washington coach Don James. “I started thanking him,” Pinkel said. “I’ve been in this business a long time. It was a big win.” But James wasn’t ready to celebrate. “He put a douse on the flame and said, ‘You know what? The
toughest game you’re gonna coach is next week,’” Pinkel recounted. “I didn’t listen to him very well. I got mad at him. I didn’t want to hear that. You kidding me?” The next week, Missouri gave up 24 first-quarter points en route to an embarrassing loss in Nebraska. That experience shifted Pinkel’s mindset, so as his players celebrated in the locker room, he spoke with his captains about staying focused before Florida. “Our toughest game is going to be this week coming up,” Pinkel said. Ray explained the team’s postgame mindset in a way that would’ve made Coach James proud. “Games like this, you win ‘em and some teams get caught up in the hype, the victory and you lose focus on preparing for the team next week,” Ray said. “We’re gonna scratch this. This a great win for us, we’re probably going to do a little celebrating tonight, but tomorrow we’re gonna come in and go back to work. We’ve got to get ready for a good Florida football team.” The team’s likely new starting quarterback didn’t even crack a smile in the postgame press conference. “Tunnel vision,” Maty Mauk said. “Don’t let people get in my head. Ignore everything. I’m going to be focused 100 percent, ready to give it my all for Missouri football.” Greg Bowers is supervising editor: bowersg@missouri.edu, 882-5729.
Trick play highlights Tigers’ offensive confidence TIGERS from page 1B “It’s a great call, because it worked,” Missouri coach Gary Pinkel joked after the game. The Tigers hadn’t scored a single point the entire second half. Georgia was blazing up and down the field on offense, poised to take the lead with one more stalled Missouri drive. The game was starting to resemble the 2012 matchup between the two teams, when Missouri let a late lead slip away in a lopsided loss. Missouri’s streak of road losses to top-10 teams, which dated to 1981 before Saturday’s win, seemed to have life. And those saying Missouri couldn’t compete in the Southeastern Conference were patting themselves on the back. Instead of rolling over when the game was unraveling in rapid fashion, Missouri
silenced the rowdy Bulldog fans with one play, improving its record to 6-0, 2-0 in the SEC, and thrusted itself right into the thick of the race for a division title in the SEC East. “We’ve been tested by fire now,” senior guard Max Copeland said. “You can only have that stuff revealed in this kind of situations. You can practice and you can train so much, but it’s these kinds of moments when you’re tested.” The win didn’t come without loss, though. As Missouri players jogged off the field, an emptying crowd around them, Franklin trailed behind. Wearing a sling on his separated right throwing shoulder, Missouri’s quarterback could barley pick his head up to look at the Tiger fans greeting the team at the tunnel. All he could muster was a thumbsup toward the crowd as he disappeared into the locker room, a grimace on his face,
not knowing when he would play again. Missouri also lost cornerback E.J. Gaines to a quad injury. Pinkel would not speculate on the severity of either injury after the game. “When somebody gets hurt, we know we have to plug the next guy in and keep moving,” defensive end Kony Ealy said. With Missouri ready to take its celebration from the field to the locker room, the last of the Georgia fans in the stands hurled inaudible insults toward Missouri’s players as they trotted of the field, laughing and smiling. The fans’ faces grew redder as they attempted to be heard over the sound of the band. Ealy had a simple response. He placed his helmet on the field, put his hands in the shape of a “W” and pointed them at the crowd, not saying a word, just smiling. The Tigers couldn’t help but
enjoy the win and relish in the success they’ve had thus far in 2013. The visiting locker room became a site for jubilation as Missouri’s players filled the surrounding area with sounds of shouting and laughter. With a home game against Florida on the horizon, the work is far from over, but Missouri finally had its first major win its new conference, and it felt good. That’s why Washington, who finished with 115 receiving yards and two touchdowns, including the crucial score in the fourth quarter, leaned back while running off the field and let out the frustration that has been building in the Missouri locker room since last season. “Tell me that win ain’t good enough!” Washington shouted. Nobody could. Greg Bowers is supervising editor: bowersg@missouri.edu, 882-5729.
COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN
SUNDAY & MONDAY, October 13-14, 2013 — Page 3B
‘Old-man football’
The Missouri offense took a page from Georgia’s playbook and focused on its running game after quarterback James Franklin went down injured in the fourth quarter
KEVIN COOK/Missourian
Georgia fans spell out “OLD MAN FOOTBALL,� a response to former Missouri Tiger Sheldon Richardson’s quip about the Bulldogs’ playing style in 2012. The Tigers won 41-26 to remain undefeated on the season. By MATTHEW FAIRBURN
sports@ColumbiaMissourian.com ATHENS, Ga. — Bud Sasser’s touchdown pass to L’Damian Washington is the play everyone will remember from Missouri’s 41-26 upset win over No. 7 Georgia on Saturday, but the Tigers sealed the victory by playing “old-man football.� Clinging to two-point lead in the fourth quarter, Missouri was battling its toughest adversity of the season. Sixteen unanswered points from Georgia loomed large, the crowd at Sanford Stadium was deafening, and the Tigers’ offense was stagnant. That’s when Missouri’s offensive line remembered its motto. “As an offensive line, when the momentum started shifting, we said, ‘We have to put it on
the line, man,’� senior guard Max Copeland said. “That’s our motto. ‘Put it on the line.’� That’s exactly what offensive coordinator Josh Henson did. With starting quarterback James Franklin sidelined, Missouri turned to the running game — old-man football. Runs of 6 and 9 yards set up Sasser’s improbable touchdown pass, and on the next two drives, playing with a lead, Missouri’s offensive line got stronger and stronger. Consider it a late validation of Sheldon Richardson’s controversial comments about Georgia playing “old-man football� before the two teams played in 2012. In last season’s game against Georgia, Missouri wore down in the fourth quarter, letting a lead slip away and ending up with a 41-20 loss in its first game in the Southeast-
ern Conference. Saturday’s win was the opposite. “Yeah, we played some old-man football today,� Copeland said with a laugh. “It was a pretty good time.� Maybe even more important than the strong showing from the offensive line was the defense’s ability to create turnovers. The Tigers forced the Bulldogs into four turnovers and did not turn the ball over once themselves. That, along with the 142 rushing yards Missouri accumulated, was an old-school recipe for success. “They did a really good job of securing the ball and we didn’t,� Georgia coach Mark Richt said after the game. “You hear coaches say it over and over, but you can’t win a game turning the ball over like that.�
The high-flying offensive attack Missouri has utilized in the first half of the season, along with the dominance of the passing game in the first half against Georgia led Richardson, now with the New York Jets, to voice his opinion on the Bulldogs’ playing style once again. “I promise u UGA u are gonna lose this game..#old man football,� Richardson tweeted. Richardson may have been taking a shot at Georgia by calling its playing style “old-man football,� but it turns out that’s exactly what Missouri needed when the going got tough on Saturday. “We were determined,� Copeland said. “We came here to win. We didn’t come here to just hang with them.� Supervising editor is Greg Bowers: bowersg@ missouri.edu, 882-5729.
‘Yeah, we played some old-man football today. It was a pretty good time.’ MISSOURI OFFENSIVE LINEMAN MAX COPELAND, On Missouri changing its offensive strategy after quarterback James Franklin’s injury in the fourth quarter
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Page 4B — SUNDAY & MONDAY, October 13-14, 2013
26
Missouri safety Matt White, left, and defensive end Kony Ealy pressure Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray in the fourth quarter.
41 Missouri remains undefeated, becomes the first bowl-eligible SEC team after taking down Georgia in Athens Photos by Kevin Cook
COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN
Missouri wide receiver Bud Sasser prepares to pass on a trick play in the fourth quarter.
Missouri running back Marcus Murphy breaks a tackle from Georgia’s Shaq Wiggins, left, and Quincy Mauger on his way to a 36-yard touchdown run in the first half in Athens, Ga.
Safety Matt White, left, leads a celebration after a defensive stand in the fourth quarter.
Missouri safety Ian Simon tackles Georgia wide receiver Chris Conley after a short gain.
SUNDAY & MONDAY, October 13-14, 2013 — Page 5B
Missouri quarterback James Franklin looks to pass in the second half. Franklin completed 18 of 27 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game with a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter.
TEACHING OLD DOGS NEW TRICKS
A Bulldogs fan yells during the first half of play.