progressive involvement

Profile of my favorite Jayhawk

 

Welcome to the Mile High, Mr. Peyton Manning

The Denver Broncos chances of going to the Super Bowl just increased by about 10,000 per cent.  

Sure, some things could go wrong.  Maybe he's not quite healed up yet, or maybe he's now more injury-prone--or maybe, as they might say in baseball, he's "lost a little zip off his fastball."  Any of that is possible, of course, and Manning is 36 years old.  

On the other hand, these days they use very sophisticated medical and physical procedures to determine healing, arm strength, and much more.  You can bet that Peyton Manning's arm and body have gone through the most comprehensive examinations possible.

No one knows the future, but the most likely scenario here is that Peyton Manning, working with John Fox, will lead an invigorated Denver offense that will score a lot of points and make Denver a much stronger team.

Last year, with Manning out, the Indianapolis Colts promptly tanked, showing that they weren't much without Manning.  Denver won't be a one-man team.  We won a playoff game last year, and we're pretty good to begin with.

This means Tim Tebow will have to go.  You can't have Tebowmania sitting on the bench when you're trying to promote Manningmania.  That's regrettable, but Tebow, at best, is going to take some years to really develop.  You can't blame the Broncos for wanting to win with Manning right now.

People said Tebow wasn't a good passer, and it's true that he let fly a screaming duck every now and then.  He wasn't that bad, though.  On some occasions, such as the throw that won a playoff game against Pittsburgh, he could thread the needle.

So welcome, Mr. Manning.  Have a great year.

Photo:  Jed Jacobsohn, Getty

 

Survive and advance

Purdue's Robbie Hummel was the player of the game.  He was sensational in the first half, scoring 22 points, and dominating play.

Meanwhile, Elijah Johnson only-slightly-less-dramatically scored 18 points for the Jayhawks, including a steal and drive to the bucket with 23 seconds left that put Kansas in the lead by one.  

E.J. was 3 for 8 from three.  It was his three that gave Kansas it's only other lead, again by only one with about 3 minutes left.

The announcers criticized Tyshawn for not dribbling around for three seconds instead of going for the dunk, which enabled a last-ditch three attempt for Purdue.  

Maybe, but he probably would have been fouled.  If he misses the free throw, Purdue's late heave would have been for the win, not a tie.  In any case, it was such a struggle to get over the hump that Tyshawn can be excused for not restraining himself.  

UPDATE:  Tyshawn said he thought of "dribbling out" the final three seconds, but wanted to put us up by three with Purdue getting the ball under our bucket.  Quick thinking, Mr. Point Guard.  

Hats off tonight to Elijah Johnson who sealed the deal.  The man's a closer.

Photo:  Washington Post

Relieved he didn't pick the Jayhawks

Last year, the President was in Kansas for some kind of event.  During his time there, he asked to see Kansas Head Coach, Bill Self.  Self drove over to whatever town the President was visiting on the principle that when the President of the United States asks to see you, you show up.  

During their conversation, Self reportedly asked Pres. Obama not to pick the Jayhawks in this year's NCAA basketball tournament.  He picked them to win the whole bucket of marbles the last two years and they flamed out each year.

Hope the jinx works again this year.  The President has North Carolina as his over-all winner.  (I think they get knocked off by Creighton in the second round.)  He also picks Iowa State over UConn--yea!--VCU over Wichita State--boo!--and Baylor over Duke--yea! yea!

He also might have picked his brackets before we all knew that Syracuse' Fab Melo is out for the tournament.  He has Syracuse playing Ohio State to make the final four.  I think both those teams lose in an earlier round--'Cuse to K-State, and Ohio State to Florida State.

"De blessed Kansas Jayhawkers"

The civil war came six years early in Kansas.  From the mid-1850's until the start of the war, Kansas was roiled by brutality from both pro-slavery guerrillas, sometimes known as "border ruffians" from Missouri, and anti-slavery guerrillas as well, such as John Brown.  The state became known as "bleeding Kansas."

No one is quite sure of the first use of the word "jayhawk."  Whatever its provenance, in the 1850's, the term "jayhawk" became associated with the struggle against slavery.  

After the outbreak of the civil war in 1861, one of the anti-slavery guerrillas, Charles "Doc" Jennison, received a command in the Kansas militia.  He later became colonel of the Seventh Kansas Cavalry which soon became known as the “Independent Mounted Kansas Jayhawkers.”  (An 18 year old William Cody, later known as "Buffalo Bill," was one of its first recruits.) 

These "jayhawkers" were involved in several skirmishes and raids in western Missouri in the early days of the war.  Jennison had the policy that anyone not supporting the union cause would have their property confiscated--and that's if they were lucky.  

Jennison's troops were not always careful to distinguish between those who were pro-slavery and and those who were against it.  Put another way, their looting was sometimes indiscriminate.  This looting came to be called "jayhawking."

Under pressure from the highest ranks of the Army, Major General David Hunter issued General Orders No. 17 in the Department of Kansas on February 5, 1862, declaring marital law in Missouri.

“... the crime of jayhawking shall be put down with a strong hand and by summary process, and for this purpose the trial of all prisoners charged with armed depredations against property or assaults upon life will be conducted before the military commissions ...”

Not everyone, however, considered "jayhawking" in negative terms.  In the fall of 1861, for example, Kansas newspaperman, John Speer, encountered wagons of African-Americans on their way from Missouri to free-state stronghold, Lawrence, Kansas.  Speer asked if they were runaway slaves and an elderly woman replied they had been taken by “De blessed Kansas Jayhawkers. Dey Jayhawked us!”

Jennison resigned his commission in May, 1862.  The following year, pro-slavery guerrilla, William Quantrill, and his raiders sacked the town of Lawrence.  Kansas Governor Thomas Carney called on Jennison to raise a regiment of cavalry to protect the border.  This regiment became known as the Kansas 15th.

After the war, Jennison was elected to two terms in the Kansas House of Representatives.  In 1871, he was elected to the State Senate.

Image:  Charles "Doc" Jennison, leader of the Mounted Kansas Jayhawkers 

Phog Allen and Clyde Lovellette

See classic photos of Kansas basketball here.

Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor make Big 12 men's basketball first team

Both unanimous, by the way.  Meanwhile, Bill Self is coach of the year, and Jeff Withey is defensive player of the year.

Thomas Robinson was named player of the year.  Tyshawn was probably his closest competition.

Jim Boeheim, Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams, John Calipari

What do they all have in common?  These basketball coaches are some of the very best in the history of the sport--OK, except for Calipari--and they all have a lower winning percentage over the past ten years than Kansas Jayhawks' Head Coach Bill Self.  

Self's Jayhawks have won 83.3% of their games over the past decade.  This year, supposedly a "down year," sees the Jayhawks at 25-5 (83.3%), and ranked third in the country. 

On Allen Fieldhouse as home court advantage

"It's so loud," said (Missouri guard Michael) Dixon, who scored 17 points for Missouri. "When they scored a basket, it felt like they scored 10 baskets."

Beware the Phog

The sound level at (Phog) Allen Fieldhouse hit 120.2 decibels today, roughly the sound of a 727 taking off.