Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 6, 1991)
Sports NU faces tough competition at Big 8 Michelle Paulman/Daily Nebraskan Kansas’ Mike Maddox strips the ball from Nebraska’s Rich King Sunday in a game that Nebraska coach Danny Nee now admits was crucial for Cornhusker momentum entering the Big Eight tournament. By Paul Domeier Senior Editor Of all the luck. This is the year Nebraska could be considered a favorite to win the Big Eight tournament, Friday through Sunday at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo. This also is the year in which all eight teams could be considered contenders for the title. “There’s no one that can’t win it,” Nebraska coach Danny Nee said. Arguing for some teams, like cellar-dweller Kansas State, is more difficult, but Nee had his evidence: The Wildcats won at Oklahoma on Saturday. Arguing for Nee’s team wouldn’t be as difficult. The Comhuskers, ranked 13th in the nation, are 24-6. On Sunday, they recorded their first win over a Top 25 opponent, the 12th-rated Kansas Jayhawks. ‘If we can play with the intensity on defense and the physicalness (from the Kansas game), and we can get the outside shooting to fall, we can play with anybody,” Nee said. Nee now is saying that the game against Kansas was crucial. Well, not crucial in that the 5-.... ' ’ ■■■■ Huskers had to win or hang their heads in shame, but he said the victory did many things for Nebraska. The win helps Nebraska in the NCAA tour nament power ratings, vital for a high seed when the pairings come out next Sunday. The win cemented a solid season for the Huskers, Nee said. The seniors were able to leave the Bob Devaney Sports Center with a win. And Ne braska has momentum entering Friday’s first round matchup with sixth-seed Oklahoma, lb 13. The Huskers, in their extreme turnaround from last year’s 10-18 record, have defeated the Sooners twice this season. L argely because of the Nebraska turnaround, Nee has been named District V coach of the year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Associa tion. Husker center Rich King was named to the all-district team. Nee has noticed the perceived change in his mental abilities with the change in the team’s success. Last year, he wasn’t too bright. “I’m summa cum laude right now,” Nee said. II..— .T!--1 Old-timer Palmer pushes for comeback, spurring visions of bucks, Series spot ask Jim maimer what he s been smoking. Is it some form of hallucinatory drug that makes him try to make a valiant return to baseball? Is he under the influence of some obscure group of hypnotists, or is he involved in some sort of bizarre, amnesia-induc ing mishap? Does he really think he can strike out baiters 20 years younger than himself? Can he actually visualize himself blowing away Bo or dusting off Jose with a high, hard one? Or. I don’t know, could it possibly be, might be, couldn’t be... MONEY? Let’s face it. At age 45, Palmer’s chest and leg hairs will be graying soon, and his once-securc Jockey underwear modeling job is in jeop ardy. Don’t be surprised if you see Wayne Gretzky, John Elway or Isiah Thomas baring their briefs in Palmer’s place soon. He’s been a good analyst for ABC and ESPN for a couple of years, but how safe can that job be, especially with younger retired ball players constantly bullying their ways into broadcast booths? The Jim Palmer Candy Bar? Jim Palmer Inflatable Rafts? No, the real money is back where he came from, on the diamond as a major league player. So this spring, Palmer is in the Baltimore training camp, stretching those old muscles out, hiding that gray with a black Oriole cap, and smiling as the cameras whirl and focus on him, a real baseball legend. Oh yeah, he also wants to make the team. He could be a stabilizing influ ence, he says, someone who could help lead the flock of young Orioles through the heat of a pennant race and bring back oncc-blue skies over Memorial Stadium. And he smiles when he says this could be a message to older players everywhere, a veritable sign that reads, “You may not have a good life now, but if you come back to baseball as only a shadow of your former self, you can live once again in the fast lane.” Apparently, Orioles manager Frank Robinson doesn’t care. His team made a run at the pennant in 1989, but fell short of expectations last season. Maybe he thinks Palmer will be the one role model his squad has needed for so long. He’ll know which restau rants to choose when Baltimore goes on a road trip. He’ll be rich, loo. If he makes the team (and when you consider the fan interest his re turn will probably generate, his chances are pretty good), Palmer probably will start asking for bucks, and lots of them. He does have one element work ing in his favor: He can throw strikes. At 45, putting the ball across the plate becomes a must. And when he looks at other pitchers making big bucks, palmer nas to believe nc can at least imitate the best. Roger Clemens, a pitcher who continually has folded in the postsea son, is now the highest paid player in baseball. Perennial losers like Tim Leary and Pascual Perez are throwing the ball for bunches of bucks. So how much will Palmer, who has won a couple of Cy Young awards and a couple of World Series, be worth? The $ 10 million-a-year barrier has yet to be cracked by any major leaguer, so we might as well start with an old idol like Palmer. The fans will fill the stands, with grandfathers telling their grandchildren, “I watched him pitch back in the ’69 Series.” He may not be able to get a guy out, but did that stop the Royals from paying reliever Mark Davis last sea son? Did that stop an injured Orel Hershiser from collecting his pay check while watching the Dodgers play from his backyard hammock last year? And then there’s the other possi bility: Palmer will win games, throw the Orioles’ first no-hitter, lead the Orioles to a World Series and take Nolan Ryan’s spot as baseball’s resi dent Grandpa Moses. He could be King of Maryland. Then he can come back in ’92 asking for $20 million, and in ’93, and in ’94 ... Let’s face it — Jim could go for ever. And as long he’s throwing the old ball across the plate, his salary might just keep going with him. He may not be so crazy after all. Adklsson is a sophomore news-editorial major and a Dally Nebraskan reporter and columnist. NU swimmer recovers By Vicki Burge Staff Reporter The Nebraska men’s swimming and diving team may have an ad vantage at this weekend’s Big Eight championships. Mr. Potatohead is not Mr. Pota tohead any longer. Steve Keller, a sophomore from Omaha, was nicknamed Mr. Pota tohead by his fellow swimmers last semester for his “interchangeable parts,” which were always hurt. Keller had problems with his shoul der, pulled a muscle in his chest, got sick several times and broke his hand. “After 12 years of swimming with no injuries, I guess I was just taking my fair share of the inju ries,” Keller said. But now a healthy Keller said he has his sights on a strong Big Eight performance. Nebraska dis tance coach Rick Paine said he expects Keller will swim very fast at this weekend’s meet. “He should be well under his lifetime bests,” Paine said. “I would expect him under four minutes in the 400-yard individual medley, and under one minute, 50 seconds in the butterfly. Those are times I would be happy with, but not ec static." A middle-distance swimmer, Keller’s specialities are the 200 butterfly, 400 individual medley and 500 freestyle. Keller said he doesn’t want to risk putting his foot in his mouth by making predic tions. “I know what I can do and I know what I should do,” Keller said. “It’s just doing it that’s the hard part.” Keller said getting closer and closer to the Big Eights and NCAA championships is what has kept him motivated. Staying motivated wasn’t always easy for him. Keller spent most of last semes ter by himself doing special work outs in the weightroom. The good news is that his leg press climbed from 320 pounds to 650 pounds in less than four months. While most of the Nebraska men were swimming in 10 or 11 invita tional, Keller swam in only four After his injuries and sickness, he swam against Brigham Young but didn’t finish his race. “It was the worst,” Keller said. He said he often thought about quitting the swim team or becom ing a manager. “I almost wanted to start crying,” Keller said. “When you are by yourself and alone, it’s so hard. But you know you have to stay motivated, even when you aren’t always with the team.” Paine said Keller’s problems started last summer when he stopped swimming to go to summer school. He had to go to summer school because he was on academic pro bation. Last semester, amid injury prob lems, Keller received a 2.8 grade boint average and stayed in the University. “I really partied when I made it See SWIMMER on 8