From: maryb@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.college
Subject: Jayhawk Posting #16
Date: 26 Sep 92 04:25:06 CDT
Organization: University of Kansas Academic Computing Services

From the Friday, September 25, 1992 issue of the University Daily Kansan.

KANSAS FANS CHEER, FEAST AND SCALP
by Muneera Naseer, Kansan staff writer

   Yesterday's game found people of all ages and backgrounds gathered
around Memorial Stadium for pre-game festivities. Some of them were old
enough to remember 1976, the last time the Kansas football team was ranked
in the Associated Press poll. Dave Nichols, a 1980 KU graduate, was a
freshman that year. "We were just off and running high," Nichols said about
the team. "It is a lot harder to have a good football team than a good
basketball team." He remembered when Nolan Cromwell was junior quarterback
and hurt his knee in the 1976 game against Oklahoma. Nichols said being
nationally ranked built a lot of student pride in the University. "When
you're ranked nationally and have a winning team, people love to associate
with you," he said.
   Dudley Smith, a 1963 KU law school graduate, said he had come to every
KU football and basketball game since 1966. He said yesterday's enthusiasm
was just like it was in 1976. "Everybody was excited," he said. "We had a
great time." The only thing different, he said, was that people could drink
in the parking lot. Alcoholic liquor and beer are prohibited on the Hill.
   One of the fans at the game was Hank Hettwer, Lawrence resident and an
assistant football coach at Kansas from 1974 to 1979. Hettwer said that
1975 was a good year because Kansas played in the Sun Bowl, and 1976
started great until Cromwell was injured and underwent knee surgery. "It
certainly put a damper on the season," he said. After Cromwell left, the
team dropped in the rankings, but the fans still came in masses, he said.
"We had sell-out games," he said. Hettwer said being in the national rank-
ings again brought back all the enthusiasm. And there was more than enough
enthusiasm yesterday.
   The KU Marching Jayhawks walked down the Hill to the sound of clapping
and cheering. Their newly replated sousaphones glimmered golden in the sun.
[There was an article in the 9/24 UDK about sending the sousaphones to
Anderson Silver Plating Company in Elkhart, Indiana, to have them replated.
The owner of the company took interest in the project and flew the 22
sousaphones back to Lawrence in his private plane. It took three separate
trips because he could only fit in seven or eight at a time.] People, pets
and children sprinkled the Hill, cuddled in their blankets. There were
video cameras, satellite dishes, food stands, police officers on patrol,
helicopters in the air and ESPN. The parking lot was filled with food
spread out in car trunks.
   A giant hot-air balloon called the Firehawk hovered above the crowd on
the Hill. It carried a banner that read, "Hello ESPN fans from Lawrence,
Kansas." It was tethered to two trucks, and four people pulled on the ropes
to keep it from swaying in the wind. Firehawk belongs to Gene Brown of
Topeka, who is a hot-air balloon hobbyist. He said it cost $12,000 to have
it made. "It's just like owning a second car," he said.
   Far from the lights and the crowd stood the scalpers--or Hawker, as one
called himself. They were buying tickets from people and selling to others
for a face value of $19 or an underface value of $15. Mike Dye, who has
been scalping since he was 13, said he had made more than $100 dollars by
7:30 p.m. He uses the money for car payments, health insurance and other
expenses. "I consider it my first job," he said, surrounded by other scal-
pers yelling, "Anybody got tickets?" One scalper interrupted, "This game is
to be sold, not told. We're giving you a million-dollar game here, baby."

Posted to r.s.f.c. by "Kansas Mary"
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.college