Kansas City Sports & Fitness Magazine

2 JANUARY 2009 KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS

KC Baseball Report13 Royals offense should improve with off-season additions

The Golf Report

Steve FischPublisher

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EditorAlan Eskew

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Tim Sweeney

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Steve Fisch

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Contributing WritersBill Althaus, Chris Balda,

Audrey Harman, Tom Cannon,

John Doolittle, Greg Echlin,

Alan Eskew, David Garfield,

Bill Grigsby, Alan Hoskins,

Dr. Andrew Jacobs, John Landsberg,

Jim Potoski, David Smale, David Bigge,

Marc Bowman, Tim Sweeney

Contributing PhotographersScott Thomas, Ed Graunke,

Alan Hoskins, Tom Cannon,

Scott Weaver, Jim Gill, Warren Ingram

On The CoverPhotos by Scott Thomas, Warren Ingram

and Scott Weaver

Published MonthlyEntire Contents © Kansas City Sports& Fitness 2009. The views and opinions

of the contributing writers contained in

this publication do not necessarily reflect

the views and opinions of the editor

and/or publisher.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE JANUARY 2009

Changes necessary after rotten season . . . . . . . . .4Not the first time for changing of the guard . . . . . .5 Chiefs first round picks learning the ropes . . . . . . .6 7 Questions: Jack Steadman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

BIG 12 BASKETBALL8 K-State: 40 lbs. of muscle turns Kent into a “Superman”

9 KU: Former Miege star Releford waiting for his time at KU

11 MU: KC freshmen Denmon, Moore aiding Tigers

HIGH SCHOOL22 Chrisman basketball duo bound for Illinois State

SPORTS COMMISSION23 Event Calendar

SPORTS EXTRA23 H.O.R.S.E. - N - Around coming to KC

COMMENTARY16 January - saluting the Inauguration and the good sports among us

16 The KC Connection: Kings and Thunder

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14 Game plan earns former KU golfer Woodland

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Something Different . . . . . .5Diamond Spine . . . . . . . . .22

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Exercise for busy people . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17Health & fitness helpduring uncertain economic times . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Tips for selecting nutritional supplements . . . . . .19Tips for starting a physical activity program . . . . .19Managing your food to a healthy weight . . . . . . . .20 Best exercises to “spot improve” . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Health, Fitness & Exercise resource directory . . .22

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By ALAN ESKEW, Editor

I n defense of Herm Edwards …well I’m not sure Perry Masoncould defend the embattled Kansas City Chiefs coach. Two victories in the past 25 games should be the ultimate

indictment. The Chiefs have lost 13 of their past 14 games atArrowhead Stadium.

“I’m not looking to defend myself,” Edwards said.The judge and jury will be owner Clark Hunt and his choice as

the new Chiefs general manager onEdwards’ future with the Chiefs.President-general manager-chiefoperating officer Carl Peterson wasshown the door with two weeks leftin the season. He resigned is thecompany line.

Peterson’s 20-year reign can bedivided into two decades. For thefirst 10 years, the Chiefs were good,a perennial playoff team, but nevergood enough to make it to the SuperBowl. Peterson, however, overex-tended his stay and the Chiefs stum-bled and faltered the past 10 years -two playoff games, two playoff loss-es, both to the Indianapolis Colts.

The Chiefs’ 2-14 record in 2008was the worst in franchise history. So why would Hunt or a newgeneral manager want to retain Edwards, who is a very good andpersonable human being, but his record speaks volumes?

“You never know what’s going to happen,” Edwards said when ateam is rebuilding.

True. Miami, which went 1-15 in 2007, and Atlanta, which hadthe same record, (4-12) as the Chiefs in 2007, made the playoffs in2008. The Chiefs found a way to get worse in 2008, although fewfelt that was possible.

“You anticipate the best, but it didn’t turn out like we’d like for alot of different reasons,” Edwards said.

Edwards refused to elaborate on the reasons.The Chiefs lost seven games - New England, New York Jets,

Tampa Bay, San Diego (twice by one point), Denver and Miami -by seven points or less.

“We’ll figure out a way to win those games next year,” Edwardssaid. Whether Edwards will be part of the “we” equation remainsquestionable.

And looking at the Chiefs’ schedule next year beyond the mild,mild AFC West, there are not many crème puffs to figure out a wayto win. The schedule includes playoff-teams Baltimore,Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and the New York Giants, plus the 2008underachieving Dallas Cowboys.

Looking back at the putrid 2008 season, the Mack Lee HillAward winner to the Chiefs top rookie or first-year player went to

cornerback Maurice Leggett. Yes, the Chiefs were loaded with“name” rookies last season, including first-round picks GlennDorsey and Branden Albert, second-round pick Brandon Flowersand three third-round selections, Jamaal Charles, Brad Cottamand DaJuan Morgan.

So where did Leggett come from? He was a rookie agent fromNCAA Division II Valdosta State (Georgia). He returned a fumbleand an interception for touchdowns against Oakland and Denverand finished with 32 tackles, 29 solos.

It is no surprise Tony Gonzalez,who is making his 10th consecutivePro Bowl appearance and topped allNL tight ends with 96 catches for1,058 yards and 10 touchdowns, isthe Chiefs Derrick Thomas Awardwinner as the team MVP. ThatLeggett would earn the honor overvaunted high-dollar rookies is areflection of the Chiefs mediocredrafting in recent years under thePeterson regime.

The looming question is whetherthe Chiefs believe they can buildaround Tyler Thigpen or need topick a potential franchise quarter-back with the third-overall pick in thedraft. Thigpen’s final numbers: 230

completions in 420 attempts, a 54.8 percent completion, with 18touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a 76 quarterback rating. He ran62 times for 386 yards, the highest rushing total in history for aChiefs quarterback. Only Larry Johnson, 874 yards on 193 totes,had more rushing yards.

Thigpen proved he belongs in the league and likely wouldimprove in time, but to believe he is a starting and winning NFLquarterback takes faith. He has only one victory on his resume andthat is the true measure of any quarterback. They should draft eitherHeisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford of Oklahoma or MatthewStafford of Georgia in the first round. One should be available.

After finishing with 18 yards on 10 carries in the season-endingloss at Cincinnati, Johnson made it known that he wants out. TheChiefs should accommodate him with the words, “Don’t let thedoor hit your backside on your way out of town. Good riddance.”Johnson’s days as a premier running back are past tense after aNFL-record 416 carries in 2006 took its physical toll. Johnson’s off-the-field incidents only compound the issue.

The Chiefs with Johnson averaged 18.2 points, 26th in the NFL, in 2008. They were 24th in total yards, averaging 308.7yards. On the flip side, the Chiefs defense gave up 344 points and 6,291 total yards. Sure the Chiefs were pulling guys off thestreets on Thursday and playing them on Sunday, but those aredisgraceful numbers.

Chiefs changes necessary after rotten season

Season Starters: DT Glenn Dorsey became the first Chiefs rook-ie to ever start all 16 games at defensive tackle. CB Brandon Carrbecame the first Chiefs rookie cornerback to start all 16 gamessince CB Kevin Ross in ‘84. Dorsey and Carr were two of nine Chiefsplayers who started every game in 2008, joining WR Dwayne Bowe,G Brian Waters, T Damion McIntosh, TE Tony Gonzalez, DT Tank Tyler,S Bernard Pollard and S Jarrad Page.

1,000-Yard Tandem: TE Tony Gonzalez (1,058) and WR DwayneBowe (1,022) became just the third duo in franchise history to topthe 1,000-yard mark in a single season. Bowe became eighth playerin franchise annals to top the 1,000-yard mark, joining WR OtisTaylor (1,297 in ‘66) as the second player in franchise history to register a 1,000-yard season in just his second pro campaign.

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KANSAS CITY SPORTS & FITNESS JANUARY 2009 5

Not the first time for changing of the guard I remember quite well the end of the Hank

Stram era. He had brought Kansas Citysports fans alive with his coaching accom-

plishments - a Super Bowl victory and his team’sappearance in the first ever World Championshipgame with the other league.

He won when he was supposed to lose byintroducing new defensive techniques, offensiverolling pockets to make the quarterbacks’ jobeasier and instilling a sense of class with hisplayers that we haven’t seen for years.

He brought 10 out of 11 winning seasons toour town.

But it all came to an end with the 1974 seasonwhen his team went 5 and 9 and the attendanceat the final game of 1974 at Arrowhead was only35,480 in a stadium that holds close to 80,000.

We had all gathered in Lamar Hunt’sArrowhead office to talk about season ticketsales for the coming year. John Sullivan, whowas heading the drive, told Lamar that it wasgoing to be tough to sell with the team only win-ning five games. Lamar suddenly told all of usthat he was going to hold off on the drive for aweek or two. The meeting ended and so didHank’s tenure in Kansas City. Just like that thewalls of Arrowhead came tumbling down andJericho was without a high priest.

Hank had moved himself into the position of

general manager and head coach...a dangerousrole in football. He was fired and Paul Wiggin, abright head manfrom the WestCoast, took over.

Screams fromthe Wolf Pack antthe press fell to awhisper. Therewas a new man,with high hopescoming to town.Three years later,after three sea-sons of 5 and 9and 2 and 12football, thesame cry arosefrom the multi-tude much likethe bellowing atthe crucifixion.Paul Wiggin andhis interim TomBettis were hungout to dry. Pittypoor Bettis whocould muster onlyone win during his time at bat.

Now a search was on that would go downthrough the Jack Steadman/Jim Schaaf years

until 1989 whenthe skiesopened, the sun shownthrough andpeace returnedto the press and people.

Funny howwinningchanges theminds of themultitudes.

The finalgame of the1988 seasonwas attended byonly 30,059 andthe Jets werethe opponent.Once againLamar had seenenough, Ganzwas fired andCarl Petersoncame to town as

the new general manager. This time the magic

worked. Peterson, with arecord for turning goodteams into great ones, put awinning coach, MartySchottenheimer, in his side-car and rode into our town.The game was on.

We know what happened.Football was reborn in ourfair city. Winning and sell-outs brought national atten-tion to Kansas City. The ridewould be on for 10 solid years.

Then, as I have said in the past, a decade isabout the length of time for college presidentsand football people. The valley is always there toswallow up the glory of better days.

Gunther Cunningham, Dick Vermeil andHerman Edwards would try to recapture the elusive prize of winning. It worked for a couple of seasons with Vermeil, but that too came to an end.

Edwards remains as the only hope of a returnto glory days and even his opportunity to lead willbe in the hands of the football god when all isstraightened out by Clark Hunt. Clark, like hisdad before him, wants a winner for the greatestfans in the National Football League.

I get the feeling it will happen.

BillGrigsby

Contributing

Writer

If the Chiefs pick a quarterback early in thedraft or opt to stick with Thigpen, they need tosurround him with more proficient offensiveweapons and a better offensive line to protecthim. Chiefs quarterbacks were sacked 37 timeslast season and only Thigpen’s maneuverabilityprevented that from being a higher total.Gonzalez, if he is back, and Dwayne Bowe, whohad 1,022 yards in receptions, however, makefor two inviting targets.

The Chiefs’ pass rush disappeared On April23, the day they dealt Jared Allen to theMinnesota Vikings for three draft picks. To saythe Chiefs’ pass rush was awful would be anunderstatement. Cowboys defensive endDeMarcus Ware led the NFL with 20 sacks. TheChiefs logged a NFL-worst shameful 10 sacks in16 games with Tamba Hall leading the team withthree. Derrick Thomas once had seven sacks ina game. No wonder opposing quarterbacksenjoyed playing the Chiefs. They were seldomtouched. Getting a pass rusher via draft, freeagency or trade is paramount.

My candidate for the next GM is SissyBiggers, host of “Extreme Makeover.” The Chiefsneed a transformation from ugly duckling into aswan. The Chiefs changes should be extremewith fresh eyes from a different GM thanPeterson. Let the changes begin. Soon.

Rotten season

continued from previous page


Chiefs first-round picks learning the ropesBy MARC BOWMAN., Contributing Writer

W hen an NFL team makes a commitmentto youth, it is often the young interiorlinemen which become the foundation

for that youth movement. If they succeed andgrow, the foundation of the line and of the teamdoes, too.

The Chiefs rebuilding movement and commit-ment to youth is personified by a pair of interiorlinemen selected in the first round of the 2008draft: defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, chosen fifthoverall out of Louisiana State, and offensivetackle Branden Albert, taken 15th overall out ofthe University of Virginia.

There were high expectations of both, befittingfirst-round picks, and while both had some strug-gles early in the year, both have begun to findtraction over the latter part of their rookie season,with the mentoring of their fellow linemen.

Dorsey, 6-1, 297-pounds, was considered thetop defensive lineman in the draft and a multipleaward winner in his senior season with theNational Champion LSU Tigers in 2007. Hecame to the pros with a lot of hype.

“He reminds me of myself when I was a rook-ie,” said third-year Chiefs defensive end TambaHali, a 2006 first-round pick,. “Every player wantsto come into the league and be dominant and,when they don’t, they get frustrated. He’s beenfrustrated with not making all the plays. He’s gota lot of things going through his mind. He has toadapt to the playing conditions. In college theycan lineup and tee off. In the NFL so many timesthey might run a play that we didn’t even practicethis week or maybe not for three weeks. So, he’sgot a lot of things going through his mind. He’shad a lot to think about out there.”

Said Dorsey, “The hardest part has mainlybeen technique-wise. And understanding whatthey are tying to do. I’ve had some ups anddowns, but I’m learning. I’m getting better at all ofit - runs, passes, screens - all of it.”

Despite a slow start, Dorsey is tied with

St. Louis Rams defensive end Chris Long - whowas also a first-round draft pick - for most tacklesby a rookie lineman with 39, including 21 in hispast eight games, while also recording his firstcareer sack Nov. 19against the SanDiego Chargers.

“He’s gotten bet-ter and he’s takingon a lot of doubleteams,” Hali said.“Sometimes we’resacrificing Glennand that lets the restof us get up field toget pressure on thequarterback.”

“None of it sur-prised me,” Dorseysaid of the adjust-ment to the progame. “The guyshere are better. Theteams are better andfaster. You get usedto it and play better.”

Dorsey credits thetutelage of Hali andfellow defensivetackle Tank Tyler forhis progress.

“Tamba and Tankhave helped me alot,” Dorsey said.“We’re a closegroup; we count oneach other. I sit withTamba on the benchand we talk aboutthings, and he helpsme focus on what I need to do differently.”

Hali said, “We talk on the bench. I sit right nextto him and tell him things and say ‘it might bevery loud in your head right now, but by the time

the game is over it won’t be as loud’ so I get himto write things down. It’s a process, it’s all part ofthe process of learning to play the pro game.”

On the other side of the ball, Albert is goingthrough his ownprocess andbelieves he hasmade progress, butalso recognizesthat he had somestruggles at first.

“There havebeen a lot of upsand downs for me,”Albert said. “I hada high expectationfor myself and Iknow a lot of peo-ple had highexpectations forme, too, gettingpicked in the firstround. I was hurt alittle, but that’s notthe biggest reason.It took me a littlewhile to figure out the left tackle spot.”

Albert showedhow good he couldbe in the Miamigame. He workedprimarily against

Dolphins line-backer Joey Porter,who entered thegame leading theAFC in sacks.Porter not only

recorded no sacks, his name was not found onthe tackle charts.

“With a lot of young tackles, you don’t knowhow they’ll respond,” said Chiefs right offensive

tackle Damion McIntosh. “He was a first-roundpick, so we expected him to play. We expectedhim to make a lot of mistakes, too. He’s stilllearning. He’s very young and he needs to retainthe information he’s learning, and there’s still alot to learn.”

The 6-3, 316-pound Albert moved from hisaccustomed collegiate left guard position, wherehe earned Atlantic Coast Conference honors, toa left tackle position as a pro.

“Being an interior player, you get hit rightaway,” said Chiefs Pro-Bowl left guard BrianWaters. “That happens right away on the snap,but not for the tackles. There are more handbattles and you have to learn more techniques.”

Said Albert, “I had to learn to be patient andadjust to the speed. I had to learn that I was bigenough and strong enough, but I also had tolearn to be patient playing on the end. In themiddle, things happen right away. The ball issnapped and ‘boom’ you get hit. On the end,with a fast defender you have to be patient tostay with your blocks, to be able to move withthem and not be too fast.”

Albert praises Waters as a major influence.“He showed me how to be a pro,” Albert said.“How to be physical, but how to play morerelaxed, and not as high tempered, like it is incollege. He has shown me how to do a lot ofthings, both on and off the field, to be a pro.”

“He’s big enough and physical enough,”Waters said. “And he is learning to trust that.Meanwhile, you have to learn the techniquesand learn the moves (the defender) is trying todo to you. Sometimes, on the end, you can feellike you’re out of position. You have to learn tonot lose confidence, to trust yourself, that theplay is going to come to you, and to be patient.

“I think what Branden has done is he’s addeda great sense of stability here. And a great senseof hope. He’s a prime example of the right kindof talent, the right kind of attitude and the rightkind of commitment. What he’s learned as a

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football player has been to be able to stabilizethe game. Game in and game out, he can com-pete with anybody. He has also learned as a per-son, too. Branden has stabilized as a person.He’s kind of a clown - in a good way - he’s a funguy to be around. But he’s learning what heneeds to do mentally and physically he has allthe tools. He can do big things.”

Albert’s improvement is an encouraging signfor the Chiefs future.

“Brian has helped him a lot,” McIntosh said.“He’s playing well. He’s got the tools. He’s playedaggressively and with confidence. That’s one ofthe main things to learn because it reduces mis-takes and helps you compete. You gain confi-dence with experience as you play at this level,and Branden is doing that.”

Seven Questions is a regular segment on the“Behind the Stats” radio show. This month “Behind the Stats” hosts Matt Fulksand Dave O’Hara caught up with former KansasCity Chiefs Chairman, President and GeneralManager Jack W. Steadman. Jack also served inmany other executive roles within the otherHunt family businesses.1. My idol growing up was...?Jack Steadman: My Dad.2. The best part of any of my Chiefs’ jobswas...?JS: The exileration of Gameday in the NFL.3. My favorite Golf Course to play is...?JS: The Estansia in Scottsdale, Arizona, where Ilive part of the year.4. My favorite vacation spot is...?JS: Hawaii, the Main/Big Island.5. My favorite book is...?JS: The Bible (Also, anything by John Grisham).

6. My favorite musician is...?JS: Pianist David Osborne7. The one person in history that I’d like to meetor that I have already met is...?JS: I was very impressed when I met EvangelistBilly Graham. He was very passionate.

“Behind the Stats,” hosted by Matt Fulks (left)and Dave O’Hara (right), is recorded each weekfrom Saints on 9720 Quivira in Lenexa.

Visit www.BehindTheStatsRadio.com for more information.

7 Questions with Jack W. SteadmanBranden Albert #76 and Brian Waters #54

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THE COLLEGE HOOPS REPORT


40 lbs. of muscle turns Kent into a “Superman”Darren Kent has bulked up. Really.

K ent, a 6-10 center/forward, is just shy

of 230 pounds, after arriving at Kansas

State as a freshman weighing about

190 pounds. Okay, his likeness not going

to appear on the covers of any superhero

comic books, but he looks different. And as

much as the weight-all muscle he says-he

has gained confidence and a big role in the

success of the Kansas State men’s basket-

ball team.

“When we got here, he probably had

very little chance to get on the floor,” said

K-State coach Frank Martin, who arrived

in Manhattan as an assistant on Bob

Huggins’ staff prior to Kent’s sophomore

year. “He didn’t run away from the chal-

lenge. He hit the weight room hard and re-

tooled his body.”

Kent is an integral part of the rotation of

big men, as the Wildcats redefine them-

selves after a season of relying heavily on

Michael Beasley. Last season, the offense

was bring-it-down-court-and-throw-it-

inside-to-Beasley. When Beasley wasn’t

scoring, the No. 2 option was Bill Walker.

With Beasley and his 26.2 points per

game playing for the Miami Heat in the

NBA, and Walker and his 16.1 ppg watch-

ing from the sidelines of the Boston

Celtics, Kent, Luis Colon, Ron Anderson

and Jamal Samuels are the low-post play-

ers Martin’s offense depends on to get the

easy buckets.

Kent says he doesn’t feel any pressure

being the only senior on the team. “I don’t

feel any pressure of being the only leader,”

Kent said. “Guys like Jacob (Pullen) and

Dom (Dominique Sutton) help by being

vocal and setting the example. I don’t feel

like it’s all on my shoulders.”

But Martin says leadership has been

a key to the Wildcats non-conference

success.

“He’s been here through so much

change,” Martin said. “He’s experienced.

He understands all the good that comes

with committing yourself to working hard

and to developing as a team. He under-

stands how valuable it can be when you set

yourself out to succeed. He brings that

everyday to practice and the games.”

Even though the Wildcats are young,

they have experience. Four sophomores-

Pullen, Sutton, Anderson and Fred Brown-

saw significant playing time last year.

Juniors Colon and Chris Merriewether also

cut their teeth last year. And unlike last

year, there are not one or two players the

Wildcats count on primarily.

“There’s not one individual who is the

key,” Kent said. “We have good guard play

and depth at the four position (power for-

ward). Guys like Jacob and Denis

(Clemente) need to score. Dominique

needs to score as well.”

In order for the Wildcats to be successful

and return to the NCAA tournament,

everybody has to step up. No one more

than Kent. He recognizes how much his

role has changed through the years.

“When I first got here I didn’t play much

at all,” he said. “The next couple of years it

was focused defense and rebounding, and

letting the guys like Mike and Bill do their

thing. This year, everyone has to step up

their scoring role. The coaches have asked

me to be more aggressive.

“I definitely have tried to be more of a

presence down low. In previous years,

scouting me revealed that I was all about

knocking down outside shots. I’ve worked

on my low-post game. I’m still working

on that to bring out the other team’s bigs

and shoot over them. But I’ve tried to be

more versatile.”

That certainly paid off against Centenary

Dec. 21. Kent scored a career-high 24

points and added 10 rebounds for his third

double-double of the season, and his

career. He bettered his previous career high

of 15 points, set Nov. 16 against Southeast

Missouri State. Included in his 24 points

were 9-of-14 shooting from the field, 1-of-

1 from three-point range and 5-of-6 from

the free-throw line.

Kent said he learned a lot

from facing off against

Beasley in practice last year.

Beasley was never afraid to

share his secrets with his

teammates, and Kent took full

advantage.

“I learned a lot, just being

around that caliber of player,”

Kent said. “I learned some of

his subtle moves and what

helped him be successful. We

have the same type of game,

able to shoot from the outside

and take it inside.”

Building up hasn’t been

easy for Kent. “There’s not

much fat,” he said of his

weight gain since arriving in

Manhattan. “It’s definitely

been a struggle. I don’t have

the body I’d like yet, but I’m

still trying to gain weight and

muscle.”

Martin said it’s been

rewarding for him to see

Kent’s effort pay off.

“It’s been huge. I may be

off a few pounds, but I believe

he put on 30 pounds of mus-

cle,” the head coach said. “He

has always had good athletic

ability and real good foot-

work. He’s worked hard and

has helped himself be able to

do the things you need to

compete on the Division I

level.”

Kent was not highly recruit-

ed. He averaged 13.5 points,

8.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks

per game his senior season,

not eye-popping numbers. Now he’s enjoy-

ing finally getting some attention.

“It feels good,” he said. “I was under the

radar. Our (high school) team was so bal-

anced I didn’t have to

score. It feels like the

hard work is paying off.

Not everyone comes into

college having to be the

star. That’s the way my

career has gone. I’ve

gained confidence. I

know what I can do.”

The inside game is the

latest addition to Kent’s

game. “I prefer shooting,

just because that’s how I

grew up. I’m more com-

fortable outside. Banging down low is

something I’ve had to learn. But seeing

the easy buckets I get down low has been

nice too.”

With a roster full of role players, the

Wildcats can be good if everybody plays

their role. Teams can’t focus their attention

on one player, any more than the Wildcats

can depend on one guy to carry them.

“We need to keep playing one game at a

time,” Kent said. “I think we need to make

sure we keep moving the ball well in the

offense. If we can score, we can rely on

our defense. Our half-court offense needs

to keep improving.”

Kent has pro aspirations, though it prob-

ably won’t be in the NBA. Whoever ends

up with Kent, won’t have to worry about

what he’s doing off the court. He’s an all-

American boy. He’s even from Apple

Valley, Minn., for goodness sake. When

he’s not playing hoops, he likes to spend

time with family, just relaxing.

“I guess I am clean cut,” he said. “When

I go home I like to spend time with family

and hang out. We have a cabin by the lake,

and I like to spend time there. In

Manhattan, when the season is done, I like

to golf. Some of my best friends are on the

golf team.”

You won’t find him in the newspaper for

being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“That’s not me,” he said. “You won’t see

me on any of those crazy TV shows.”

Unless it’s an old Superman rerun.

DavidSmale

Contributing

Writer



Former Miege star Releford waiting for his time at KUT ravis Releford has always been the star.

From his prep days at Kansas City

Central High School and Bishop Miege

to the AAU summer circuit with KC Pump

N Run, the Kansas University freshman

guard was the go-to guy.

In just his first week of his high school

basketball career at Central, the freshman

exploded for 43 points and 12 rebounds.

He was the best player in Kansas City

entering his sophomore season and ranked

as one of the nation’s top prospects in the

2008 class as a junior at Bishop Miege..

Releford became a two-time high school

All-American and the Kansas Gatorade

Player of the Year his senior season at

Miege (he transferred there the second

semester of his sophomore year) in 2008,

averaging 24.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, and

4.0 assists per game.

Releford was compared to Kansas City

native and former Jayhawk star Brandon

Rush with his athleticism and smooth

play and expectations were high as he

arrived at Kansas.

The hype grew bigger after Releford

shined during KU’s three-game exhibition

tour in August to Ottawa, Ontario. He led

KU in scoring at 14.3 points per game,

while shooting a sizzling 69.6 percent from

the field (16-23 FG). Releford was never

better against Carleton in KU’s 84-83

victory, scoring a game-high 25 points on

10 of 11 shooting.

KU coach Bill Self said Releford was

the best player in the game, superior to

Carleton’s star Aaron Doornekamp, who is

regarded as the top player in Canada.

“He’s really good in the open court and

really played well,” Self said at the time.

“He was really good at beating his man

and getting to the rack. The majority of his

shots were ones he had to earn. He’s

sneaky athletic and he’s tough.”

Adjusting to major college basketball is

not easy - even for a former high school

star. Through the first two months this sea-

son, Releford has seen limited time, aver-

aging 3.5 points and 1.4 rebounds in 6.9

minutes per game.

He showed flashes of his potential in

KU’s season-opening victory against

UMKC on Nov. 16, scoring six points by

hitting all on three of his field goal

attempts, plus two rebounds and two steals

in 13 minutes. Releford’s play off the

bench energized the Jayhawks and the

Allen Fieldhouse crowd.

The 6-5, 200-pound Releford is hoping

for more opportunities

this season as he waits

his turn at shooting

guard/small forward

playing behind sopho-

mores Brady Morningstar

and Tyrel Reed.

“It’s a lot you have to

learn from high school to

college,” Releford said.

“The big adjustment is

the playing time. I went

from playing a whole lot

most of the game to not

playing much. But I’m

going to continue to work

hard and not let that get

to me.”

Despite his lack of

playing time, Self has

been quite pleased with

Releford thus far.

“His attitude has been

great,” Self said in early

December. “He just

wants to be out there.

He’s competitive. I like

that about him. I think

Travis has a nice swagg-

ger and confidence about

him. He also knows he’s

young and he’s got to

learn some things, but I think he’s going to

be fine. I think he’s going to be a good

player.

“He just hasn’t had the same opportuni-

ties as other guys have had. (That’s) in

large part basically the staff feeling more

comfortable with certain guys because

when you don’t have a very experienced

team, you want to try to get at least a little

out there. In his position, you get can get a

little by having Brady and Tyrel.”

Self, though, wants to find more minutes

for Releford. He even gave the freshman

the defensive assignment of guarding

Temple star player Dionte Christmas dur-

ing an important four-minute stretch in the

second half in KU’s 71-59 victory.

“I think he’s done fine when he’s been

out here,” Self said. “(We need) to take

advantage of the things he does well

because he can steal us extra possessions

and he’s an athletic guy and we don’t have

a lot of guys like that.

“Basically, he’s got to be a really good

defender, a very good

rebounder and a high

energy guy that can

create offense for oth-

ers and not just him-

self. Those are things

he will get to a point

where he can do. I

don’t think there’s any

question about that. In

a game that’s up and

down and a lot of tran-

sition, he’s very, very

effective, but he’s got

to get more effective in

other areas.”

Releford has spent

extra hours working on

his jump shot and over-

all game so he can be a

difference maker.

“My role is to

(defend), get boards,

and get extra posses-

sions on offense,”

Releford said. “If I do

that, I’ll get more play-

ing time.”

He wants to be

known someday as a

defensive stopper.

“I think I can make a

good impact on the defensive end just

being long and very active.,” Releford said.

“My game is based on defense. I think if

you create on the defensive end, the

offense will come.”

Releford said he’s learning to be more

“aware of my man and the ball when it’s

opposite side” and “more vocal on defense

and get my team into it. Just being more

aggressive and deny my man before the

ball gets to him.”

Reed believes Releford is on the right

path and has a bright future. The pair was

teammates on Pump N Run for two years

in high school.

“Travis is a great play-

er,” Reed said. “He’s so

smooth on the court. He’s

long, smooth, fast. The

sky’s the limit for him.

If he keeps working hard

and playing well, he’s

capable of doing any-

thing. He can do it all.

I know he’s going to

work on every aspect

of his game. He’s got a

full package.”

Said Morningstar, “I’m

sure he’ll get in the rotation pretty soon.

He’s going to be a good player for many

years. He’s athletic and definitely likes to

play the game. He’s getting the understand-

ing of it a lot better each day.”

Reed and Morningstar became good

friends with Releford through Pump N Run

when they were teammates.

“Every time we went on a road trip, we

stayed together, same room, hung out all

the time,” Reed said. “He’s a real nice guy,

real quiet. He can get along with anyone.”

While Releford may have a quiet

demeanor, he’s known as one of the team’s

jokesters. Despite his lack of court time,

he’s definitely keeping loose and enjoying

his experience at Kansas - the first school

to recruit him when he was just a freshman

in high school.

“The first high school practice, they

were there,” Releford said. “I always knew

I would come here. Once I got that chance,

I took advantage of it. I had to wait it out.

It was me and my coaches’ plan to wait it

out and see who else was recruiting me and

keep my options open for my other team-

mates to get looks.”

Releford is just waiting for his opportunity.

“I know my time will come where he’ll

(Self) put me in the game and let me play

though my mistakes and see how that

works out,” Releford said.

If that “works out” like it did in high

school, he may eventually become a go-to

guy and a fixture in the Jayhawks’ starting

lineup.

DavidGarfield

Contributing

Writer

Phot

o by

War

ren

Ingr

am




M issouri coach Mike Anderson did not

overlook the Kansas City area last

year in recruiting, signing Marcus

Denmon from

Hogan Prep and

Steve Moore from

Truman.

Denmon, a 6-3

guard, led Hogan to

the Class 3 state title

last spring, averag-

ing 28.5 points and

5.-8 rebounds.

Denmon, who has a

tattoo on his right

arm that reads “Play

Hard, Pray Harder,’

was named MVP of

the Missouri

Basketball Coaches

Association All-Star

Game and was

selected the

Missouri player of

the year by

MaxPreps.com.

Moore led Truman to 11 straight victo-

ries and a berth in the Missouri Class Final

Four after the Patriots started 9-8. Moore, a

6-9 forward-center, averaged 17 points and

12.1 rebounds as a senior, after averaging

18.1 points, 12.9 rebounds and 4.4 blocks

as a junior.

Denmon and Moore were teammates on

the Kansas City AAU Pump N Run team in

high school. They are teammates again at

Missouri.

Anderson likes the future and upside of

the two freshmen from Kansas City.

“I’ll tell you what, one of the things that

took place for us before school started, we

had an opportunity to go to Canada,”

Anderson said. “So we actually had a

chance to practice with our team five

days prior to going to Canada. And so

I got a chance to really try to expedite

these guys at practice, and so I had an

opportunity to go play (three) exhibition

games in Canada. We got a chance to see

what these guys could do from a basketball

IQ standpoint.

“Marcus Denmon is one of those young

men from Hogan Prep, who scored a lot of

points in high

school. You always

wonder how it will

take place at this

level here, and need-

less to see,

I think he’s got a

chance to have a

tremendous future at

the University of

Missouri.

“The second

game he played 13

minutes and had 23

points. And so there

are some guys that I

always say that are

practice players and

there are some guys

that when the lights

come on, boy,

they’re different

players. Marcus is

one of those guys. When the light comes

on, he starts to shine offensively.”

While Denmon has played in every

game, he has yet to start. He is averaging

17.2 minutes. He is learning it is not nearly

so easy to score at the NCAA-Division I

level as it was against Hogan opponents.

He is hitting 38.9 percent of his field goals,

but only 20.6 percent from behind the

three-point arc. He is averaging 6.8 points

and 2.6 rebounds a game.

Moore played in only six of the first

11 games and 33 minutes total. He is

known more as a project, a blue-collar

worker that is far from a finished product.

While Moore hit 4-of-7 field goal attempts,

he was woeful from the free throw line,

missing 9 of 12 for 25 percent. He did snag

12 rebounds and blocked one shot.

“Steve Moore is 6-9, but he has about a

seven-foot wing span,” Anderson said. “He

has made tremendous strides since the

Canada trip as well as into practice right

now. He give us a guy with a big body, has

a lot of girth. He can bang a little bit and

block shots. Right now, it’s just a matter

of him understanding the level he has to

play at. I think he has a very good future

as well.”

Two other freshman - Kim English from

Baltimore Notre Dame Prep and Miguel

Paul from Lakeland (Fla.) Kathleen High -

are also playing significant minutes as the

Tigers got off a good start, climbing as

high as No. 25 in the rankings before los-

ing to Illinois.

English, a 6-1 guard, is averaging 6.9

points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists, in

13 minutes a game. He is hitting 41.5 per-

cent of his field goal attempts and has

made 11 of 30 three-point attempts.

Paul, who led his team to back-to-back

appearances in the Florida Class 4A state

game as a junior and senior, is playing 15.3

minutes a game and averaging 4.4 points,

while hitting 38.3 percent from the field.

“No question, Denmon, Miguel Paul,

Kim English, all those guys are going to

factor into how good our team can be and

their development is going to be very, very

important. The thing I like about it is our

practices are very, very competitive.

They’re competing for playing time. That

hadn’t been the case since I’ve been there.

“And so with that said, now you are

developing that depth that you’ve got to

have to play the way we want to play.”

READER FEEDBACK: I picked up your (December) publication and saw the article

about the “disappointing” football seasons of Mizzou, KU and K-State. About KU, first this

season has nothing to do with validating or invalidating last year’s season. Look back at

preseason 2007, did you or anyone else predict Kansas to win as many as 10 games? The

most I recall seeing was 8. So, based on the “experts” the ‘07 KU season easily exceeded

expectations. The talk late last year of KU having a shot at the national championship shows

the unfairness of FCS football when this year Utah gets no talk of being worthy of the national

championship when it has played a tougher schedule this year than KU did last year and is

undefeated. And all becasue KU is in a “BCS” conference and Utah isn’t.

Now as far as KU’s ‘08 season “falling way short of expectations”, how do you quantify that?

My optimistic expectations, looking at the more difficult schedule and everything else was 8-4.

9-3 would have easily been on par with ‘07, if not better (it might win the North). Where they

fell short of expectations was losing to Nebraska, and as much as I hate to lose to Nebraska

I still can’t call that “falling way short of expectations”.

Mark Phillips, Kansas City, MO

Send your reader feedback to [email protected]

KC freshmen Denmon, Moore aiding Tigers

Phot

os c

ourt

esy

MU

ath

letic

s

HIGH SCHOOL REPORT


By BILLALTHAUS, Contributing Writer

Chrisman basketball duo bound for Illinois StateJustin Clark and Jon Ekey have been

one of the most talked about basketball

duos in the metro area the past two

years.

They are part of the William Chrisman

run ‘n gun

Grinnell

University

offense that

places an

emphasis

on the 3-

point

attempt and

pressure

defense.

Clark,

who aver-

aged 25.6

points per

game last year, and Ekey, who led the state

with 151 blocked shots, will continue

being teammates long after their senior

season is over at Chrisman, as each of

them has signed a letter of intent to play

basketball at Illinois State University.

“A lot of pressure is off my shoulders,”

said Clark, who displayed a great deal of

emotion during his scholarship signing in

the Bears gymnasium. “I’m just 17, and

this is a big commitment. I had to make

sure I was making the right decision, and

after visiting Illinois State with my mother

(Arlene), my grandmother (Dorothy

Jones), coach (John Vickers) and (assis-

tant) coach (Bill) Adams, I know I’m going

to the right place.

“I’m impressed with everything about

Illinois State and Coach J. (Tim Jankovich)

made me feel like I was already a member

of the family.”

It had been announced that Clark

would sign with Ekey the week before the

high school season began. When Ekey

signed his letter, and Clark didn’t, it set off

a wild bout of speculation on several

Illinois State blogs.

“I didn’t even know those things existed

until coach Vickers showed them to me,”

Clark said. “I didn’t even know anyone

knew I was signing, but I guess it just

shows how much their team means to their

fans.

“That’s how it is here at Chrisman.

I know that Jon and I and all our team-

mates are going to do everything we can to

make this a special year at Chrisman.

Then, maybe we can do the same thing at

Illinois State.”

Clark, a 6-foot-4, 176-pound guard, was

the top scorer in Missouri high school bas-

ketball last season. As a hot-shooting jun-

ior, Clark hit 103 3-pointers and had 12

games of 30 or more points. He currently

ranks third all-time in Missouri high school

history with 281 career 3-pointers. The

state record is 355.

“We are thrilled that Justin and Jon will

be a part of our program,” said Jankovich,

a former Kansas State player.

Last season Clark was a second-team

all-state selection and added 4.9 rebounds

and 2.3 assists per game to his state-best

scoring

average.

He aver-

aged 17

points per

game as a

sophomore

and 15

points per

game his

freshman

season,

while earn-

ing all-

conference

and all-district honors twice.

In addition to being a teammate with

Ekey at Chrisman, the duo also played

together this past summer on the AAU

Kansas City Pump ‘n Run squad that won

two national tournaments.

The signing came on a special day for

the Clark family.

“It’s my grandmother’s birthday,” said

Clark, as a tear streamed down his cheek.

“She has always been there for me, always

had my back. I wouldn’t be where I am

today without her.

“And for the past four years, coach

Vickers has been like my father. I owe

him so much. I’m so happy to share this

special day with the people who are a part

of my family.”

So was Ekey, who was joined at his

signing by his mother Jill and father Bill

and his grandfather, Raymond Allen.

“This is a dream come true,” said Ekey,

a 6-foot-7 swingman who can play with his

back to the basket, bring the ball down the

court and dominate offensively and defen-

sively. “I remember a conversation I had

with my mom a few years back.

“We were talking about AAU basketball,

and I told her I thought I could play

Division I ball, and she said if I really

meant it, and was willing to work toward

that goal, she would do anything she could

to support me.”

His mother Jill grinned when asked

about that conversation.

“Jon had been approached to play

AAU ball,” Jill Ekey said. “I asked him

what his goals were. We talked about tak-

ing his game to the next level, and here he

is today.”

Ekey’s father recalls an even earlier

conversation he had with his son.

“Jon told me he was going to play for

Duke,” said Bill Ekey, who was sporting a

Cardinal red Illinois State jacket. “He did-

n’t tell me he was going to Duke, he told

me he was going to play for Duke. I think

he was 10 when he made that comment. So

I guess you could say playing Division I

basketball has been in his plans for a long,

long time.”

Vickers recalled Ekey’s first varsity

appearance.

“He was a freshman, about 6-foot tall

and maybe 100 pounds, he blocks two

shots,” Vickers said, beaming like a proud

father. “He was so skinny if he turned side-

ways, you couldn’t see him. But he worked

as hard as any kid I’ve ever coached.

“And he continued to work hard. I can’t

even tell you how proud I am of him.”

Said Chrisman activities director Dan

Ogle, “I wish every freshman who is

interested in playing a sport at William

Chrisman High School was here to see Jon

sign this Division I letter. He could inspire

a lot of kids who don’t know what a little

hard work and commitment can mean.

“This is the first D-I signing I’ve been a

part of as activities director at the high

school and recently, the only others I can

think of are LaShena Graham (basketball

at Colorado) and Lindsey Ramsay (softball

at UMKC).

“We’d like to make this an annual event.

I know our coaches would like to see that

happen.”

Ekey has become a force at both ends of

the court for the Bears, who are anticipat-

ing a special season.

“When I talk to coach Jankovich or

Coach (Anthony) Beane, we talk about my

senior year and how special it can be. We

talk about personal things. It’s like they

really want to get to know me as a person.

“And they talk about what a great year

this could be for me and the basketball

team. When I visited Illinois State, and met

them, I knew that’s where I wanted to go.”

Bill Althaus is an award-winning sportswriter/columnist for The Examiner inEastern Jackson County. You can read hiscolumn Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

Gianna Misenhelter, 16, a studentat St. Thomas Aquinas was a featured guest on the Kansas CitySports & Fitness Radio show heardSaturdays from 8-9 am on Hot Talk1510 AM. Misenhelter was the 2008recipient of the Kenneth Smith GolfAward which recognizes the golfer inthe greater Kansas City area whobest excels on and off the course.She is pictured with KC Sports &Fitness radio co-hosts Jim Potoski(right) and Steve Fisch (left).

presents THE KC BASEBALL REPORT



Royals’ offense should improvewith off-season additions

B atting average ought not to be a

barometer to judge offenses. The

Kansas City Royals’ .269 batting

average ranked sixth in the American

League in 2008, an improvement of eight

points from 2007.

Yet, the Royals fired hitting coach Mike

Barnett after the season, replacing him

with former Royal All-Star Kevin Seitzer.

While the batting average was healthier,

the Royals scored 15 fewer runs then they

did in 2007. Only Seattle, which lost

101games, and Oakland scored less runs

than the Royals’ 691 in the American

League. Only Washington, losers of 102

games, San Francisco and Minnesota in the

majors hit fewer home runs than the

Royals, who hit 120.

The Royals were not a patience club at

the plate, drawing a Major League-worst

392 walks and 31 of those were intentional.

A priority of general manager Dayton

Moore was to beef up an anodyne offense

during the off-season. He did this with two

trades, acquiring power-hitting first base-

man Mike Jacobs from the Florida Marlins

and center fielder Coco Crisp from the

Boston Red Sox. All Moore had to give up

for the two everyday players were right-

handed setup relievers Leo Nunez and

Ramon Ramirez.

While Jacobs hit only .247 last season,

he also had 32 home runs, 93 RBIs, 27

doubles and two triples for a .498 slugging

percentage. Jacobs, like most of the

Royals, does not draw many walks, 36,

while striking out 119 times in 2008. But

the Royals will not want Jacobs looking for

a walk when two runners are on base, but

to belt the ball over the fence.

Jose Guillen’s 20 home runs and 97

RBIs topped the Royals last season.

Guillen walked even less than Jacobs,

23 times, while striking out 106 times.

The likely batting order for manager

Trey Hillman will be Guillen batting clean

up and Jacobs fifth. Hillman used eight

batters in the fifth hole last year with Billy

Butler and Mark Teahen each starting

49 in that slot.

Hillman wrote in seven players in the

leadoff spot. David DeJesus, 105 starts,

was the primarily No. 1 hitter. DeJesus,

who hit a career high .307 (47 points high-

er than his 2007 average), will probably

slide to the third hole in Hillman’s 2009

lineup, while Crisp will top the order.

Mike Aviles, who hit .325 in 102 games as

a rookie, is the leading candidate to sand-

wich between Crisp and DeJesus in the

revitalized lineup.

Crisp hit .283 last year, but became

expendable with the emergence of Red Sox

rookie Jacoby Ellsbury. With Ellsbury

slumping at the end of the season, Crisp

went 10-for-24 in the playoffs. Crisp, also,

provides the Royals more speed at the top

of the lineup. He stole 20 bases last year.

“I think it gives us more weapons, no

doubt about it,” Hillman said.

Crisp is ticketed to patrol center field,

moving DeJesus to left, giving the Royals

a better defensive outfield.

“Center field is a very important posi-

tion, especially in our ballpark,” Moore

said. “It’s a huge ballpark, and there are

not a lot of home runs hit here. So we felt

it was obviously very, very important for

us. We felt that Coco Crisp was the best

available player for us in center.”

Hillman said he hated to lose Nunez and

Ramirez, “but it gives us an opportunity to

do some things offensively.”

Moore filled the bullpen voids by sign-

ing right-handed relievers Kyle Farnsworth

and Doug Waechter. Farnsworth, who is a

10-year veteran and pitched for the New

York Yankees and Detroit Tigers last sea-

son, signed a two-year contract for $9.25

million and could pocket another $750,000

each year in performance bonuses.

Waechter was 4-2 with a 3.69 earned run

average in 2008 with Florida.

The Royals are also bringing back left-

hander Horacio Ramirez, who was 1-1

with a 2.59 ERA in 15 relief appearances

with the Royals before they traded him on

Aug. 9 to the Chicago White Sox for minor

league outfielder Paulo Orlando. Ramirez,

however, had been a starter before last sea-

son and the Royals plan to use him in the

rotation in 2009.

The Royals could use a southpaw in the

rotation. John Bale made three starts last

April and those were the only ones by a

left-hander. Bale was non-tendered, but re-

signed with the Royals, but he will be used

out of the bullpen next year. After going 0-

3 with a 7.63 ERA as a starter before going

on the disabled list for an extended stay

with a self-inflicted broken left hand, Bale

finished the season without allowing a run

in 10 relief appearances over 11 1/3

innings, retiring 21 consecutive batters at

one point.

There is plenty of time for Moore to

massage the roster even more before the

pitchers and catchers report on Valentine’s

Day, but he could be hamstrung by the

budget, which is likely to climb to around

$75 million after the arbitration-eligible

players settle their contracts.

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Royals Progress Report, and

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present THE GOLF REPORT


W hen you think of game plans,

you probably think of football.

Or maybe basketball. But rarely if

ever golf.

Considering Gary Woodland’s perform-

ance in this year’s PGA Tour’s “Q-school,”

it should be added to the equation.

At stake at the annual Q-school is a PGA

Tour card that qualifies the holder to play

on the PGA Tour. Its value: Priceless.

Which also means it’s the most pressure-

packed event in golf short of the Ryder

Cup and the final round of the majors

because every shot can determine success

or failure.

It’s also the most grueling. More than

150 golfers playing six 18-hole rounds on

two courses to determine the 25 (plus ties)

who earn full-fledged membership on the

PGA Tour. But that’s only the final stages.

Most of the several hundred entrants,

including Woodland, are also required to

play two preliminary 72-hole stages to

set the final field. So it can easily come

down to one shot or one putt for either

one year on the PGA Tour or returning to

play the Nationwide Tour and other mini-

tour events.

Woodland made it - with a stroke to

spare - on his first Q-school try, a feat in

itself in that many very good golfers try

again and again and never make it.

Thanks to a 3-under par 69 on the final

round, Woodland finished the six rounds

with a 20-under par 412. The final cut

was 19 under.

Of the final field of more than 150 play-

ers including several former Tour mem-

bers, Woodland was one of only eight

golfers to go through all three stages of the

Q-school. Past champions (who only have

to play the final stage) regaining their Tour

cards included Notah Begay III, a four-

time winner; Chris Riley, who played in

the 2004 Ryder Cup; Ted Purdy and John

Huston, but 15 former Tour champions

didn’t survive including Robert Gamez,

Jason Gore, Willie Wood, Mark Brooks

and Paul Stankowski.

As for the pressure and the nerves,

Woodland didn’t feel it - until the final

hole. “I was thinking of my game plan

and that eliminated the pressure of the

school,” said Woodland, a 24-year-old

Berryton native who graduated from

Shawnee Heights in Topeka and played

four years at Kansas.

The game plan was set in the practice

rounds he played on both of the two cours-

es in La Quinta, Calif.

“Each hole was different. Some holes I

would play aggressively and try to make

birdie and some I would play conservative-

ly and play for par,” said Woodland, who

was accompanied on the practice rounds

by his caddy, his swing coach and his

sports psychologist. “We set the points we

thought were needed and went out and

executed.”

With rounds of 70, 64, 71, 71 and 67,

Woodland was tied for ninth at 17 under

entering the final round on the Jack

Nicklaus Tournament Course and quickly

got to 19 under with birdies at Nos. 3 and

5. Offsetting a bogey at No. 6 with another

birdie at No. 7, he got to 20 under with a

birdie on No. 10 and looked to be a lock to

make the cut only to hit a “rough spot,”

squandering a birdie opportunity on the par

5 11th and bogeying No. 13 to drop back to

the cut line.

That’s when a lot of golfers falter, but

Woodland’s response was flawless, knock-

ing in a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 16 and

then rolling in a huge 10-footer for par on

the par 3 17th after his first putt came up

well short.

Heading into the final hole, Woodland

had purposely avoided knowing where he

stood against the rest of the field although

from the reaction to the birdie on No. 16

by a group of friends and acquaintances

from Topeka, he knew he was close.

“I took extra time on the tee,” said

Woodland, facing a par 4 with a lake run-

ning the length of the fairway on the right

side. “That was very nerve-wracking, defi-

nitely the most pressure I’ve ever had,

especially with water on the right.”

Needing a par to stay at 20 under, he

executed his game plan perfectly, hitting a

3-wood off the tee to make sure he stayed

left of the lake and then lofting a 9-iron to

within five feet. “It was the best shot I hit

all week, no doubt about it,” he said.

It was then he asked his caddy if he had

to make the putt to secure his card. The

answer was no. “It was a huge relief,” said

Woodland. “Once I heard I didn’t have

to make that putt on the last hole…that

was huge.”

With five birdies on the final round,

Woodland finished the qualifying with an

eagle, 31 birdies, 11 bogeys and one dou-

ble bogey in earning a tie for 11th place

and No. 25 on the list of new qualifiers.

“Twenty-five is a pretty good number,”

Woodland said. “Most tournaments have

150 spots. There are 125 players who are

fully exempt but not all of them play so

I’ll play five of the first seven tournaments.

Then every seven weeks they’ll reshuffle

the numbers depending on how well

you do.”

One of 28 players to get their Tour cards,

Woodland and the other new card holders

were kept for a couple of days for PGA

instruction on the “do’s and don’ts” of the

Tour. “It was very informative. We had a

lot to learn and covered a heck of a lot of

material in two days.”

Woodland, who now lives in Orlando,

Fla., took a few days off for a vacation

in the Bahamas before preparing for his

first tourney, the Sony Open in Hawaii

starting the second week of January. He

has a club deal with Adams Golf, a ball

and shoe contract with Titleist, a swing

coach in Dallas and a full-time caddy,

Brent Everson, who formerly carried the

bag for Justin Leonard.

“I hired him on the spot,” said

Woodland, who credited Everson with

being a big part of putting together his suc-

cessful game plan.

Woodland is some-

thing of a newcomer to

golf in that he started his

collegiate career playing

basketball at Washburn.

“I always played basket-

ball and baseball and

was not ready to give up

basketball,” said

Woodland, who trans-

ferred to KU after his

freshman year to concen-

trate on golf.

“I think basketball really prepared me for

where I am today, the intense training and

being mentally and physically ready. I kind

of matured late. It took me a couple of

years to adjust.”

“Gary was born with a natural ability to

hit the ball a very long ways, but it has

been the other parts of his game improving

and better shot management that has made

the difference for him to be able to get to

where he is today,” says Kansas golf coach

Kit Grove.

In four years at KU, Woodland won four

tournaments, had 14 Top 10 finishes and a

career stroke average of 73.44. After fin-

ishing at KU in 2007, he joined the mini-

tour, qualifying for four Nationwide Tour

events, but making the cut only once.

“I didn’t play well,” he says. “It was

one of those deals where I was learning

and learning and it kind of clicked a cou-

ple of months ago when I realized I have

more ability than a lot of guys out there,

but that’s not what wins. Tiger (Woods)

has more ability than most people, too,

but he wins because he beats people men-

tally. Once I got to Q-school I dedicated

myself to beating every day and every golf

course mentally.”

The former Jayhawk got to the final

stage of Q-school by finishing fourth at

16 under par in the first stage at Dayton

Valley Country Club in Dayton, Nev., and

then placed 15th in the second stage

played a Deerwood in Kingwood, Tex.

Woodland will begin the Tour with a

reputation is being extremely long off the

tee. “That’s what I’m known for and it’s a

huge asset, but I want to be known for

being a golfer who uses his length the right

way. I probably average about 330 yards

but if I need to hit it farther, I will,” which

takes us right back to where we started, a

game plan.

“Everybody’s been saying this is a

dream of mine but the dream of mine is to

win,” Woodland said. “This is obviously a

step in the right direction and gives me a

chance to compete against the best players

in the world, but my job’s not done.”

AlanHoskins

Contributing

Writer

In his very first try, former Kansas golfer Gary Woodland earned his PGA Tour card by finishing 20 under and tying for 11th in the pressure-packed PGA “Q-school” in La Quinta, CA

Game plan earns former KU golfer Woodland coveted PGA Tour card

Phot

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thle

tics


January - saluting the Inauguration and the good sports among us

I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t

be more excited about the prospects for

2009.

My own leading economic indicators

are suggesting that in the sports

world, the political landscape and

financial mosh pit, brighter days are ahead.

Mr. Obama - the stage is yours. Even

though the local daily newspaper has

become thinner than Calista Flockhart and

the city’s lanky Mayor has taken more bul-

lets than King Carl, it’s time to kick the

Bernard Madoffs and Rod Blagojevichs of

the world to the curb and start restoring

public trust in our great nation.

In other words, I’m grateful for a chick-

en in my pot, heat in my home and every

nickel I have in the bank or under my car

seats. Along those lines, here are some of

the many people, places and events that are

putting a smile on my face as we settle into

this new calendar year:

� I salute the doctors, nurses and switch-

board operators at Passavant Hospital in

my hometown of Pittsburgh. Our family

home is less than a mile away from this

healing center. As kids, we used to ride our

bikes around it and explore the wooded

areas behind it. Money and expansion have

turned this facility into a world-class med-

ical mecca. My Mom had gallbladder sur-

gery at Passavant right before Christmas.

My sister Jane was “Janie-on-the-spot” for

every step. Her cheerleading and hand-

holding was fantastic medicine. Mom is

back home and on the mend. We plan on

celebrating her 80th birthday in March

with relatives near the Royals’ spring

training home.

� I salute Steve Fisch - the publisher,

designer and sales director of this stellar

publication. Print media has been battered

like the Detroit Lions. Clients always (and

unfortunately) cut their ad budgets during

rocky times. Despite all the negative

Nellies, Steady Steve has remained a true

professional and earned the trust and faith

of many businesses. He deserves to be

rewarded with the community’s support.

Keep picking up this FREE magazine. Tell

your friends about it. If he contacts your

company and asks for a few ad dollars -

pay it forward.

� I salute Mr. Fisch on a second media

success. Since August 2006, he’s been the

driving force behind “The Kansas City

Sports & Fitness Radio Hour “ heard live

on KCTE Hot Talk 1510 AM on Saturday

mornings from 8-9 a.m. He pilots the 60-

minute gab-fest and brings on clients and

advertisers so they can enthusiastically

shill their own businesses and products. It’s

a neighborhood forum with grassroots

appeal. I’m the show’s co-host. It’s been a

total blast entertaining early-morning lis-

teners and building new friendships. Thank

You, Steve. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being

part of your media empire. Let’s get bigger

and better in 2009.

� I salute our friends and sponsors at the

U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion Kansas

City. In particular - Lieutenant Colonel

Eric Reinkober and Advertising/Public

Affairs Chief Gary Bloomfield. These

Army Strong gentlemen have shared our

airwaves and told amazing stories.

Commander Reinkober’s wife has been

serving in Iraq while he’s

held down the fort at

home with two young

children. Because of this

business relationship, the

U.S. Army invited Steve

and I to attend the 2009

U.S. Army All-American

Bowl (www.usarmyal-

lamericanbowl.com ) on

January 3 in San

Antonio. What could be

better than starting off

the New Year with 100 of the best high

school football players in the country?

Marshall Faulk is scheduled as the banquet

speaker. Tony Severino will join the festiv-

ities. During our trip we’ll also be visiting

a military hospital filled with wounded sol-

diers. I’m totally humbled and honored to

be a part of this distinguished event. You’ll

get a detailed report about our experiences

in the February issue of this newspaper as

well as our radio show.

Stay warm. Go Steelers!

The KC Connection: Kings and ThunderW hile on a trek to Dallas this fall,

I stopped by to see something I

haven’t done in several years; go to

an NBA game. The latest addition to the

long line of NBA franchises, The

Oklahoma City Thunder was hosting the

Memphis Grizzlies, another team that had

been transplanted from another city.

As I witnessed two teams that are cur-

rently struggling pound it out, I instantly

recognized the Kansas City connection

between the Thunder of Oklahoma City

and the Kings. It was hard as it brought

back some of my favorite memories of my

childhood at Kemper Arena.

Hurricane Katrina is a link to why

Oklahoma City has a NBA franchise

today. ,The hurricane damage forced the

New Orleans Hornets to find a temporary

new home for one season in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma City showed commissioner

David Stern and the NBA that they

could support a professional basketball

franchise and the Seattle Supersonics

came knocking.

After 23 seasons, three Western

Conference championships and one NBA

banner, the Supersonics flew southeast to

Oklahoma City. Although they are off to a

very slow start, their fans have welcomed

the team and time will tell if they can sus-

tain their passion to support the NBA team.

I can remember going to Kemper Arena

in the early 1980s and watching the Kings

play the Sonics and having the opportunity

to visit with some of the players. My broth-

er, who worked crowd control, often took

me to see the Kings play. I do not recall

who won, but I vividly can see Seattle

guard Gus Williams coming out of the

locker room wearing the furriest hat I have

ever seen and a full-body coat outlined in

some kind of leopard fur. He had a cane in

one hand and a big fat cigar in the other.

For some reason, that memory had never

left me as I am sure many moments have

not left Seattle’s fans either. The

Supersonics obviously played longer in

Seattle than the Kings in Kansas City and

definitely had more success.

The Kings come to Kansas City much of

the same way the Thunder stormed into

Oklahoma City. The Cincinnati Royals

struggled during much of their tenure in

the ever-tough NBA Eastern Division that

was dominated by the Bill Russell-lead

Boston Celtics. Never winning the divi-

sion, despite having the likes of Jerry

Lucas and Oscar Robertson, the Cincinnati

team failed during the late 1960s and quite

often traded other key players. They were

forced to find a new home. During the 70s

they were often playing “home” games in

other neutral sites and as it turned out,

Kansas City-Omaha were able to get the

franchise. Not wanting to have two profes-

sional teams in Kansas City called the

“Royals,” the Kings were crowned as a

new NBA team.

We all know that the Kings played home

games between Kansas City and Omaha

before finally making Kemper their only

home in 1975. We won one division title in

1979 under coach Cotton Fitzsimmons and

watched some of our favorites march up

and down the court: Sam Lacey, Phil Ford,

Scott Wedman, Otis Birdsong and the only

NBA Hall-Of-Famer to don a Kings Jersey,

Nate Archibald.

Although the team had some success,

Kansas City averaged more than 10,000

fans a game one season, thus leading to the

departure to Sacramento in 1985.

Although we have the Sprint Center, I

am not sure that we will ever have an NBA

team come to Kansas City due to our past

failure and current situation with the

Chiefs and Royals not quite having the

success they once had.

As for the Thunder of Oklahoma City;

they are currently averaging more than

18,000 fans at the Ford Center despite

being one of the worst teams in the NBA.

And the Ford Center, not the Sprint Center,

will host the Big 12 basketball tournament

in March. The Oklahoma Sooners, just

down the road in Norman, just like

Lawrence to Kansas City, are nationally

ranked in basketball.

I talked to several fans at some of the

local establishments and they are on a mis-

sion to prove that no matter what, they will

support the Thunder,

which fired its coach

after a horrible start, and

bring home a winner in

the future. One guy even

stated that they know

that this may be the only

true professional team

they will ever get and he

is happy with that. With

no NFL or NHL team to

compete with locally, the

Thunder may have a

chance to make it, espe-

cially with the support they are getting

right now.

After I left Ford Center, I could still hear

the horn sounding, the squeaking of high-

tops, the occasional rants by the coaches

and referee whistles. It was odd. I had for-

gotten the sounds of the game. For some

reason, NBA games have a different feel

and noise than high school or college

games. It may be that the fans are a little

bit quieter and respect the game different-

ly.

But I realized that a part of my child-

hood still surrounds the court at Kemper

Arena and another generation has come

and gone and may not ever have the oppor-

tunity to root for a home NBA team.

Oklahoma City fans recognize this and are

on a mission to ensure that their team will

be there now and in the future.

JimPotoski

Contributing

Writer

JamesPeuster

Contributing

Writer

SPORTS COMMENTARY


Exercise For Busy PeopleD on’t have time to exercise? Don’t want

to get outside in the cold weather? Trythese tips to work a little extra physical

activity into each day to tighten muscles andburn calories.

Balancing a hectic work schedule and familylife can be drainingfor the most energeticperson. No matterhow sincere our goodintentions, sometimesit seems impossibleto make time for aroutine physical fit-ness program.

Sure, you mighttake a weekly walkwith the dog, but thatisn’t enough to keepyour stamina up andyour blood pressuredown. Here are a fewsuggestions for build-ing physical activityinto a typical busyday. Get your doctor’spermission beforeincreasing your physi-cal activity, however:

1. Walk the extra mile. Not literally, perhaps,but walk whenever you can to get a little extramovement out of your schedule. For example,jaunt up two flights of steps instead of taking anelevator. Deliver a message in person down thehall instead of calling or emailing it. Walk to themailbox at the end of the driveway instead ofsending your 10-year-old son. Explore everyaisle at the grocery store rather than stoppingonly at the ones on your list. Move quickly downthe aisles. You may miss some items and have

to backtrack, but that only adds to your workout.We’re on our feet all day, so put them to gooduse wherever they take you.

2. March in place. Even during stationaryactivities you can get rid of extra calories andtone leg muscles. Stand rather than sit before

the television duringyour favorite sit-com and walk ormarch in place.During commer-cials, pick up thebeat a bit until youfeel warm orbreathe a littleheavier. Don’t pushyourself to the pointwhere you can’teasily talk, howev-er. You may evenwant to add a fewarm stretches asyou move in place.

3. Rock androll. If you must sitfor certain activities,such as knitting,choose a rocking

chair and move it back and forth. Even gentlerocking movements can eliminate a few caloriesfrom your legs, abdomen, and hips, and rockingactually helps the digestive system work moreeffectively than if you were sitting still. True, thisis a low-energy way to exercise, but it is betterthan nothing.

4. Fidget at work. While sitting at your desk,jostle your feet up and down rhythmically to keepthem moving. This can help improve blood circu-lation and tighten calf muscles. Every hour or so,stand up and stretch gently without tearing your

muscles, reaching arms high and bending fromside to side a moment or two. (You may want to do this out of your co-workers’ sight.) Evenslight movements can add up over the course ofa few days.

5. Have fun. Get outside and shoot somehoops with your kids. Play tag with the dog. Take a walk with your spouse. It needn’t bestrenuous when you start doing these things; alittle at first will help you become more active andperhaps even develop an appreciation for physi-cal movement. Try dancing. There are styles tosuit any preference.

6. Be creative. Try stretching or use rubberbands. Rubber-band exercises that can be donewithin a few feet from your desk are bicep curls,leg extensions and leg curls. Most sportinggoods stores have these larger-sized rubberbands available. View chores like lawn mowing,

dusting, and vacuuming asopportunities to exercise.

Don’t worry or fret aboutjoining a health club or takingup jogging . Make your tran-sition from a sedentarylifestyle to a more active onein small steps. Enjoy thefeeling of movement andgentle exercise of your mus-cles, and soon you may bedoing it more often, and withgood results.

Audrey Harman is a nutrition consultant andcan be reached at 913 707-4717 or atwww.NutritionByAudrey.com.

Audrey Harman

Contributing

Writer


W ith the holidays ending, some of us maybe hesitantly getting on the scale orneeding some extra down time after

normal holiday activity and stress. The cold anddecreased light during the day can also have anegative effect on us.

Other signs like uncommon fatigue, heartpressure and poor moods are examples of thingsthat can be more serious. These kinds of signsshould encourage us to revisit our overall healthand fitness plan.

Also factored in to this equation is the currenteconomic recession. Many things factor into ourability to be successful financially and our healthis certainly one of them. The immediate effectsand unknowns of the recession can create signif-icant anxiety for any of us.

This stress can put pressure on our mind andbodies. A good health and fitness plan can get usthrough the challenges of these tougher econom-ic times and be ready for the physiological effectsof a recession on us.

While experiencing stress, mentally we actmore compulsively causing ourselves to makepoor decisions at work, home and about our ownhealth which adds to the stress. Physically,stress can put pressure on our hearts, stiffen ourmuscles and restrict blood flow thus creating

unhealthy conditions that can lead to a heartattack or stroke to name a few. We need goodhealthy habits to live most happily.

In terms of trying a newhealth program, one thingto be aware of is not overdo it. We might turn ourstress into overworkingourselves. We need to beaware of our mental stateand give it the rest itneeds along with our bodymaking sure we have agood balance betweenrest and activity.

The main categories ofmaintaining our health aresleep, diet and exercise.There are many ways toimprove your health in each category and findingwhat works best for you is important. It is a goodidea to see your doctor at least once a year andgo over a health plan. This is advantageoussince they know your history and any uniquemedical conditions that you may have.

Some studies have suggested that of the mainthree categories, sleep is the most important. Alack of sleep can impair our judgment, affect our

thinking and create negative emotional respons-es. Sleep physiologically gets important oxygento the brain, which renews it allowing it to do its

best work with the restof the body.

For better sleep, weneed to stay away fromsugar and caffeine latein the day if not com-pletely. One of the bestways to get to sleepsooner is to take a hotbath. This relaxes thebody so the innerorgans can also restallowing you to sleep.

Unless you need theTV on to sleep, pick atime to turn it off and

stick with it. Anxiety can also keep us up. If youtake your worries to bed, you will associate yourbed with your anxiety. You will then have a moredifficult time getting to sleep and then sleepingwell. A rested mind and body feels better, makeshappiness much easier and also helps in makinggood decisions.

An improved diet can do wonders for you.Eating smaller portions is one of the most

common ways of eatinghealthy. Restaurants nor-mally serve us much morethan we need. A good habitto get into while dining out,and at home, is to eat whatyou need and put the restaway for another time.

A balanced diet is anoth-er key. Getting our neededproteins keeps us strongand gives us a normal feel-ing of being full. Without enough proteins, we tend to overeat on carbohydrates and put on weight.

One of the most common pieces of advice for diet is to increase eating fruits and vegeta-bles. Also, regularly choosing water over soda or caffeinated drinks is very helpful. Writing down everything you eat is a great help in con-trolling your diet. Joining a group like WeightWatchers, Jenny Craig or Slim For Life can be agreat support in your efforts to have a good andbalanced diet.

Regular exercise is also very important to ourhealth. Kim Peterson, owner of Anytime Fitnessin Overland Park said, “Regular exercise dramat-ically impacts many

TimSweeneyContributing

Writer


Health & fitness help us in uncertain economic times

of the diseases prevalent in our society today,including heart disease, diabetes, high choles-terol, even arthritis. It can improve cardiovascularand cardiopulmonary function, increase bonemass and muscle mass, and speed metabolism.Regular exercise improves our mood, decreasesstress, cuts medical expenses, and generallyimproves our outlook on work and family life.”

The minimum amount of exercise we need isthirty minutes three times a week, which could bejust walking. Forty-five minutes of exercise fouror five times a week is necessary if one is tryingto lose weight. Exercise is typically dividedbetween cardiovascular and strength. Using allof your major muscle groups is necessary for abalanced strength workout.

Flexibility is a commonly understated impor-tant part of exercise. Basic stretching and flexibil-ity exercises can be very helpful. More and moremen, including professional athletes, have usedyoga with great success in their workouts.

Some other ways to get exercise are to partici-pate in sports which are considered to be morefun than routine exercise. Boxing and martial artsare like workouts on their own. Individual sportsor activities like aerobics, water aerobics, pilates,hiking, biking, spinning, tennis, golf or swimming,for example, are fairly easy to participate. Teamsports through a parks and recreation group,

health club, church or other organization are ten-nis, volleyball, basketball, softball, flag football orhockey to name a few are also beneficial.

To get help with basic exercise, trying a per-sonal trainer may be helpful. Peterson said per-sonal trainers do more than count repetitions.They can open you up to many health opportuni-ties and give you guidance. The best way to seeif having a personal trainer is for you, is to tryone. Many health clubs offer free sessions tointroduce you to personal training.

Our minds need to be treated well and restedtoo. Mediation, prayer, music and art are allthings that can help. Scented candles, bright colors at home and a massage are other thingsthat stimulate the senses and rest the mind andbody. In times of greater need, speaking with aprofessional about your life may be worth theeffort also.

One of the best ways to continue your effortsat better health and fitness is to be aware of andenjoy the good feeling that comes from your pro-gram. The more that connection is made themore likely we are to return to our health pro-grams. This kind of consistency can help us suc-cessfully get through challenging economic timesand come out a winner physically, mentally andalso financially.

At times when you do not feel like exercising,eating well or going to sleep earlier, ignore thenegative stimulus…and just do it.


SELECTING SUPPLEMENTS

With our fast-paced lives, home-cooked

meals and good nutrition often go by the way-

side…which can affect your health.

Nutritional supplements can help make up

for what you may be lacking.

Here are some things to consider when

choosing nutritional supplements…

• Examine your current diet. What are you

consuming, what are you lacking? What’s

needed to balance your diet? Keep a food

journal for a week to see if you have any food

group patterns.

• Consult a health care provider about sup-

plements and any medications you are cur-

rently taking.

• Utilize the staff in your local health store.

They can help you find the right supplements

and/or vitamins to suit your needs.

• Look for supplements from companies

that offer information on their manufacturing

facility, testing and production processes and

the raw ingredients they use.

• Once you’ve determined what you need,

read the labels of the supplements you consid-

er carefully to make sure they contain the

ingredients you need to balance your diet.

• Educate yourself on what you’re putting

in your body.

You can receive great benefits from taking

nutritional supplements. With some research

and a little help from your health care profes-

sional and health store specialists, you can

take advantage of the benefits of combining

your diet and supplements to stay healthy and

live longer.

TIPS FOR STARTING

A PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

PROGRAM

• Wear comfortable clothes and sneakers

or flat shoes with laces.

• Start slowly. Gradually build up to at

least 30 minutes of activity on most or all

days of the week (or whatever your doctor

recommends).

• Exercise at the same time of day so it

becomes a regular part of your lifestyle.

• Drink a cup of water before, during

and after exercising (but check with your doc-

tor, because some people need to limit their

fluid intake).

• Ask family and friends to join you -

you’ll be more likely to stick with it if you

have company. Or join an exercise group or

health club

• Note your activities on a calendar or in

a logbook. Write down the distance or length

of time of your activity and how you feel

after each session. If you miss a day, plan a

make-up day or add 10–15 minutes to your

next session.

• Use variety to keep your interest up.

Walk one day, swim the next, etc.

• Look for chances to be more active

during the day. Walk the mall before shop-

ping, take the stairs instead of the escalator.

• Don’t get discouraged if you stop for a

while. Get started again gradually and work

up to your old pace.

• Don’t exercise right after meals, when it’s

very hot or humid, or when you just don’t feel

up to it.

Source: American Heart Association

Uncertain...continued from previous page


Managing your foods to a healthy weightBy GINA FISCH, Contributing Writer

I t’s the New Year, and this year you really...REALLY...promise to lose weight!Starting January 1, you skip those Bowl

Game snacks and dutifully eat your broccoli. OnJanuary 2, you skip breakfast, eat a grilled chick-en salad for lunch and a salad again for dinner.January 3rd….cereal, soup, salad, skip thedessert. Down three pounds already! Way to go!

But guess what? At this pace, by the end ofthe week you’ll be eating everything in sight! Soif you really want to keep your New Year’s reso-lution, here’s my advice to you.

SSTTOOPP DDIIEETTIINNGG!!

There’s a better way to lose weight, and it cer-tainly DOES NOT include starving yourself toslenderness. It’s called Weight MANAGEMENT.

We’ve been conditioned to think if we cut our calories way back, we’ll lose weight quicklyand then be able to keep it off. Unfortunately, cutting calories down to 800-1,000 calories perday can lead to unintended results, including loss of healthy muscle mass and severe blood-sugar swings.

I know you have all heard of “yo-yo” dieting.Cutting calories too far is a primary cause of thiseffect, where you lose weight quickly and thenput a bigger number of pounds back on. The factis cutting too many calories puts your body into“starvation mode,” where the survival instinctkicks in and all it wants to do is STORE body fatin the midsection. And then the imbalance inblood sugar causes you to have cravings andwant to eat everything in sight.

But there is a better way, and that is by MAN-AGING your foods instead of dieting. Here areseveral basic rules regarding food management:

1. The closer to Mother Nature you eat, thebetter off you’ll be! This means eating an appleinstead of apple pie. A banana instead of bananabread. Oatmeal instead of an oatmeal cookie.Adjust your foods to include lean proteins, wholegrains, and lots of fruits and vegetables andyou’ll be much better off.

2. Keep the RIGHT calorie count! If you consume too few calories you’ll burn MUSCLEinstead of FAT. Too many calories and you’ll gainweight. But hit the right balance of foods withinyour proper calorie range, and you’ll conditionyour body to burn EXCESS BODY FAT at a verycontrolled rate, about 1.5 to 2 pounds per week ifyou do it well, or around 25 pounds of body fat injust three months!

As a general rule, most women do well in the1,200-1,500 calorie range, and men in the 1,700-2,000 range. This means you might have to eatMORE food than you’ve been conditioned to eaton a “diet” in order to keep within the prescribed

range. It helps if you know your Basal MetabolicRate, or the amount of calories your body needsto function nor-mally. When youuse that as yourbaseline, thenyou can eat UPto the propercalorie count toburn body fatinstead of cuttingDOWN to a ran-dom number and ending up in starvation mode.

3. Don’t wait for that miracle diet pill.You’ve all heard Oprah’s trials and tribulationswith her recent weight gain. If you watch hershow, you know she’s constantly looking for thatmiracle cure, be it a pill or a special diet. This is asure path to failure. If you’re constantly lookingfor a shortcut, you’re robbing yourself of thechance to be in control. The fact of the matter isYOU control what foods you put into your body. Ifyou have the right balance of high quality pro-teins and eat your fruits and vegetables, you’ll bethe one who controls your weight, and you’llknow how to maintain your healthy weight for life.Don’t wait for that miracle cure!

4. Get away from all beige and yellow food.

Your plate should have bright colors on it, not justbeige. Try to include a healthy balance of bright

colored fruitsand vegeta-bles. A platefull of beigefried chicken,beige mashedpotatoes &gravy, yellowcorn and abeige roll

might taste good, but it’s NOT going to help youreach your goal.

5. Water yourself! You all know the impor-tance of drinking enough water during the day,but when you hear the big numbers like “64Ounces,” all you can think about is luggingaround a big water bottle. But if you break it intosmaller, manageable amounts, drinking the rightamount is easy. Set yourself a goal of taking awater break on the hour during the business day.Get out of your chair and drink a small glass (8 ounces) at 9 a.m., 10 a.m. & 11 a.m., thenagain at 2 p.m., 3 p.m. & 4 p.m. That just leavesyou two more servings in the evening, andyou’ve satisfied your 64 ounces for the day.

6. One thing at a time. If you’re serious about

keeping your resolutions this year, don’t try to dothem all at once. If you jump head-first into sev-eral intense lifestyle changes at the same time,you’re bound to quickly burn yourself out and fail.I recommend you start by managing your foodsfirst. This will help you regulate your blood sugarand mood swings, and make any additionallifestyle change more tolerable. And alwaysremember…ALL THINGS IN MODERATION. You don’t go from couch potato to marathon runner overnight.

So remember, keeping your weight loss reso-lution is MUCH easier when you MANAGE yourfoods instead of DIETING! Controlling your nutri-tion and calorie count within a healthy range willkeep you on track to burn BODY FAT, will keepyour blood sugar in balance to reduce cravings,and will condition you to STAY on course toreach your goal.

Good luck this year, and happy MANAGING.

Gina Fisch is the owner and founder of Perfect Balance Weight Management Center,with locations in Overland Park (Deer Creek) and Lawrence (Bella Sera). She has an R.N. andhas spent the past 10 years in the weight lossfield. Visit her online at www.pbwmc.com, or callher at (913) 535-0225 or (785) 841-4050.


Best exercises to “spot improve”I t’s a common thing to see exercise maga-

zines and articles that promote a “quick fix”for a problem later.

Men’s magazines always have somethingabout “six pack abs” and women’s have “blastyour butt” articles. This appeals to many of uswho have nagging areas that hold onto fat orsimply don’t respond quick enough.

Problem is you really can’t spot reduce. If youworked up to 6,000 crunches a day it is entirelyprobable you will look exactly the same unlessyou exercise regularly and show restraint withwhat you eat.

That’s why you see men with big guts on the abs machines at gyms, and large lower body women doing endless leg scissor machinesyear ’round.

Now while you cannot spot reduce, you cansomewhat-somewhat, “spot improve.” That issome exercises are better at effectively toningthan others, based on muscle fiber recruitment.While you are exercising, you want to spendmore time effectively, don’t you? So here is mylist of best exercises for each body area:

Best Glute developer: The Squat/and orstep up- This is a king of most exercises butsquats and their cousin the step up involve highamounts of hip/glute movement in a functionalcapacity. They are excellent “anti gravity” exer-cises and are miles better than a glute machine

or leg weight glute lift. Just make sure you useyour hips/glutes to do the movement and notyour knees or lower back.

Best Core/Abs work: (Tie)-Crunch on balland the plank- There are a gazillion ab exercisesout there, and again you have to look at muscu-lar effectiveness. The crunches on the ball allowa greater range of motion for the abs to get a fullstretch. The plank works not only your abs, butshoulder stabilizers as well, so it is both anabdomen exercise and also injury preventiveexercise. I would focus on perfecting these asopposed to swinging on a weight loaded abmachine.

Best Arm developer: (Tie)-Dip and Incline

Curl-These two really overload their targets, thetriceps and biceps. Now I mean the dips off the side of the bench and not

the chest dip whichwe’ll talk aboutsoon. Incline curlsallow a greatstretch on the bicepand make it VERYhard to cheat. Andremember a fullstretch and rangeof motion areessential to makingany exercise pro-ductive. Ironicallywe tend to shortenour range to hurry

up and finish a set.Best “Athletic V-taper”: (Tie) Pullups and

Overhead Presses- If you have not noticed thereare a lot of “ties.” That’s because the body is avery complex machine and terms like “arms” or“abs” don’t tell the whole story-and consequentlymore than one muscle group is actually involved.The “v-taper,” which connotes a fit body, is notsimply due to one muscle. In fact most amateurswrongly over focus on the chest, when theyshould be focusing on the shoulders and back.The pull up is still one of the upper body “kings,”

which is why you will find itin military testing amongother places. It not onlyworks the lats, but the armsas well. Same with the over-head press. Very few exer-cises work your deltoids(shoulders) as the over-heard press so effectively.And for added developmentdon’t do them on a benchwith back support. Try thestanding overhead variety.

Best Chest toner: The wide grip dip-Here’sprobably the shocker. Most gym rats would easilyanswer the bench press or maybe some flyapparatus. Problem is there isn’t a lot of range ofmotion in any of those. The wide grip (on a paral-lel bar) dip is often overlooked, but allows a greatamount of tension to be placed on the pecs, andcan quickly develop or firm them up.

Remember no matter what exercises youchoose, do them with good form and do themintensely.

Chris Balda is a USA Weight-lifting coach,National Strength and Conditioning AssociationTrainer and owner of FixXprt, a fitness and training consulting business. He can be reachedat (913) 244-0287 or by email at [email protected].

ChrisBalda

Contributing

Writer


Resource DirectoryCenterpoint Medical Center

Many people in today’s society choose to

pursue an active lifestyle. Some are elite athletes

whose physical performance is their livelihood,

many are student-athletes and others are avid

amateurs who participate in sports for recreation

and physical fitness. At Centerpoint Medical

Center Sports Medicine and Wellness, we consid-

er everyone who pursues an active lifestyle an

athlete. All athletes, despite their different abili-

ties, motivation and goals, share one common

need - the need for a fully integrated, comprehen-

sive sports medicine and wellness program that

can be tailored to each athlete’s goals.

Our Sports Medicine and Wellness program

brings together primary care sports medicine

physicians, orthopedic surgeons, nurses, physical

therapists, athletic trainers and certified strength

and conditioning specialists to keep athletes in

the game. Our experts treat athletes in all sports,

all ages and all skill levels.

Watch for the following Sports Medicine

events at Centerpoint Medical Center:

• March 24: Running Clinic – Foot Ailments

and Proper Shoe Selection

• April 14: Upper Extremity Injury Prevention

• May 2: Golf Clinic

• July 14: Running Clinic – Sports Nutrition

• August 18: Contact Sports Injury Prevention

and Concussion Management

• September 15: Active Adults – The Role of

Exercise in Reducing Stroke Risk

• November 10: Running Clinic – How to

Take Your Program into the Winter

Visit www.centerpointmedical.com for infor-

mation on these programs.

Diamond Spine FitnessDo you have back pain or discomfort?

Diamond Spine Fitness is the place for you!

It is a one-of-a-kind unique experience. The

workouts focus on strengthening and revitalizing

your back while in an elegant atmosphere of

relaxation! The center adds the convenience of an

onsite chiropractor to suit your needs. After

strengthening and stretching the spine, members

may indulge themselves with a soothing, relaxing

massage with Human Touch Technology (HTT),

which is performed fully clothed. Membership

for an affordable monthly fee gives you full

access with no need to make appointments.

Visit or call us: 7324 W 135th St., Overland

Park (913-897-5227). Also visit us online at

www.diamondspinefitness-kc.com .

Max MuscleWhether you are looking to add muscle, lose

weight, improve athletic performance, or just get

into shape for the New Year, Max Muscle has

Certified Nutrition Specialists with the knowl-

edge and experience to help you get results.

Max Muscle Sports Nutrition

14967 W 119th St

Olathe, KS 66062

[email protected]

www.maxmuscleolathe.com

Metro East Tennis CenterMetro East Tennis Center is an all-inclusive

indoor tennis complex conveniently located in

Blue Springs, Missouri…and we are the premiere

tennis destination in Eastern Jackson County!

We offer an exceptional combination of tennis

and fitness…all in a handily located and tasteful-

ly appointed club. Our members can always

count on a qualified and knowledgeable staff to

make sure their tennis and fitness needs are met.

During our membership drive, we are waiving

our standard initiation fee and your first month is

absolutely free! Now is a fantastic time to join

our community of friends…BECOME A

MEMBER TODAY!

Metro East Tennis Center

3109 NW Vesper Street

Blue Springs, MO 64015

816-224-7999

www.metroeasttennis.com

Perfect Balance Weight Management Center

Perfect Balance Weight Management Center

teaches you how to lose weight while eating

foods you enjoy. It’s not a quick fix, but a posi-

tive lifestyle change.

We design custom eating programs that teach

you how to manage your foods to burn body fat

and get back into healthy shape. Our clients say

for the first time, they don’t feel like they’re “on

a diet.”

You’ll receive a personalized program with

one-on-one counseling and coaching, and its sur-

prisingly affordable. You’ll see real results that

last, and will learn how to maintain your healthy

weight for a lifetime.

Call or email for a free, no obligation consul-

tation at either of our centers, in Overland Park -

913-535-0225 or Lawrence -785 841-4050. Visit

us online at www.pbwmc.com.

Shawnee Fitness ClubHave you gained a few pounds over the holi-

days? Then come join Shawnee Fitness Club.

Shawnee’s premier 25,000 sq ft, state-of-the-art

fitness facility is located 1 mile west of 435 and

Shawnee Mission Parkway! Work off those extra

pounds at a health club that is geared towards

providing a healthy and inviting family environ-

ment. They offer Personal Training, and Sports

Programs for area athletes, Free Classes such as

Spinning, Yoga, and Pilates. If you are thinking

about joining a health club, then Shawnee Fitness

Club is the place for you! Shawnee Fitness Club

has some of the lowest membership prices in the

area including a promotional offer of Buy 1 Get

1 Free memberships or $0 enrollment fees. Free

daycare is available for specific memberships!

Why waist money at those big corporate gyms,

when you can save money and achieve all your

fitness goals at Shawnee Fitness Club.

If you are interested in joining Shawnee

Fitness Club please stop by for a tour or call for

additional details at 913-422-8200.

You can also check them out online at

www.shawneefitnessclub.com!

6518 Vista Drive

Shawnee, KS, 66218

Woodside Health & Tennis ClubBuilt in 1972 as a tennis country club,

Woodside has evolved into one of Kansas City’s

top health and fitness destinations. The owners of

Woodside had the foresight to see the growing

importance of personal wellness, so they invested

nearly $3M into the facilities in 2006. Some of

those improvements included adding the latest

cardiovascular and strength training equipment,

renovating the locker rooms, building a new day

spa, wellness center, and yoga studio, as well as

upgrading the club’s décor and overall design.

Woodside members now get more than ever

with their memberships. Every club member can

use the cardio equipment with individual TV’s,

the strength training areas, a Free Motion training

center, 7 outdoor tennis courts, luxurious locker

rooms, the indoor pool area (complete w/ steam,

sauna, & whirlpool), 3 outdoor pools, an indoor

track and a basketball court. Also, 70 group fit-

ness classes are provided each week, including

yoga, mat Pilates, spinning, and aerobics. With

this many options, members will vary their work-

outs, producing better results and circumvent

boredom or burnout.

Every new member is entitled to the following

complimentary services: Private Consultation

with the Wellness Director, Health & Fitness

Evaluation, PT3 Road Map Program, Orientation

Session, and a full 60 minute Private Training

Session. At Woodside, they truly want to help

you live well and stay healthy.

Woodside Health & Tennis Club

2000 W. 47th Pl.

Westwood, KS 66205

www.clubwoodside.com

913-831-0034

“I HAD CHRONICBACK PAIN

FOR YEARS”“My Doctor recommended exercise and stretching to keep my back strong.But health clubs were crowded, noisyand didn’t have the equipment specificto the back. Then I found Diamond®

Spine Fitness Clubs. A Club for peoplelike me.”

- Carol Hickey, Diamond Member

“Muscles get weaker as we age andgravity compresses the spine. Nowthere’s a club for millions of peoplesearching for a solution that makessense. At Diamond® Spine Fitness,you’re in control.”

- Dr. John Boren

IntroducingDiamond®

Spine Fitness...The Revolutionary NEW fitness club for your backMen and women of all ages are discovering this exciting club where specially designed patent pending back fitness equipment is available in an elegant relaxing environment.

Diamond® Members Enjoy...� Muscle specific stretching & strengthening� 20-minute Diamond circuit program� Massage rejuvenation & relaxation� Expert staff and trainers� Affordable monthly dues with no contract� Training demonstration on each machine� Onsite chiropractic care available

7324 West 135th Street, Shops at Deer Creek

Be sure to visit our website atDiamondSpineFitness-KC.com and call

913-897-5227

one free weekof one-on-one

personal spine training!*Hurry! Limited time offer! *First-time guests only.

Must be 21 years or older. Some restrictions apply.

Get more health and fitness information by checkingout PDFs of past issues of KC Sports & Fitness online.Go to www.kcsportspaper.com. Links for thePDFs can be found on our home page.

R emember the basketball game

H.O.R.S.E.? The object is to not

accrue the five letters in the word

“horse”. With two players competing, play-

er #1 is allowed to shoot from anywhere on

the court and, if he makes the shot, then

player #2 must duplicate the same shot

from the same position. If player #2 miss-

es, he receives the first “letter” from the

word “horse” (in this case - an “H”).

However, if player #1 misses his original

shot; then player #2 is now free to shoot

from anywhere on the court and, hopefully,

force player #1 to try and duplicate his

made shots. A player is knocked out of the

game once he has enough letters to spell

out the word “horse.”

Anybody who shot hoops has played

horse... and now Double Dog Sports &

Entertainment is bringing Kansas City

H.O.R.S.E. - N - Around, a basketball

competition anyone can participate in.

Soon H.O.R.S.E will be played all over

Kansas City culminating in four regional

competitions.

Winners from these regional competi-

tions will advance to a downtown event in

July that will coincide with the Kansas

City Sports Week celebration and the

Kansas City Sports Commission’s annual

banquet. H.O.R.S.E. - N - Around will cul-

minate at center court in downtown KC.

The winner of the H.O.R.S.E - N -

Around finale will play for a chance to win

$10,000 against David Kalb, the man who

beat Lebron James in this competition,

twice, last September.

Many celebrities will be on hand for the

finals including Hollywood actor, Cylk

Cozart from the movie “White Men Can’t

Jump”.

The finals will also include a celebrity

H.O.R.S.E contest featuring pro sports and

collegiate legends, newspaper, radio and

television personalities and other celebrity

matches.


H.O.R.S.E. - N - Around coming to KC

UPCOMING EVENTSJanuary 31 Polar Bear Plunge, Longview Lake, KC, MOFebruary 6 2009 WIN for KC Women’s Sports Awards Celebration, Hyatt, KC, MOFebruary 14 Love 2 Run 4 Mile Run , Downtown Airport Kansas City, MOFebruary 28 Firehouse Texas Hold’em Tournament Sharks Shawnee Mission, KS

Enjoy Live Blues at Famous Dave’s Downtown, Fridays and Saturdays, 8-Midnight

EVENT CALENDAR

THE KC SPORTS EXTRA!

Top Right: David Kalb with Lebron James in Venice Beach, California.Above Left: “White Men Can’t Jump” actor Cylk Cozart, former Globetrotter Marques Haynes,and former NBA star Charles Barkley at the College Basketball Experience during Barkley’sHall of Fame induction in November, 2008Above Right: Painting of basketball legend Oscar Robertson by sports artist Ted Watts.

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