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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 11, 1998)
John Gaskins Kansas City to let down fans again It happens every year for us demented die-hard football fans. The NFL season starts, and we cut off all normal human activities on Sundays and pull up the recliner, canned beverage in one hand and remote in the other, and wither away into the football oalaYv C?-J Usually I get as giddy as Bill Clinton at a Hawaiian Tropic Girls pageant for my fall NFL Sundays. However, this year, I think I’ll just hibernate through the regular season and wake up for the playoffs. Why, you ask? Well, I’m a Kansas City Chiefs fan. You must understand my plight. For 10 years, the Chiefs have had everything going for them: a winning team, a top-tier coach in Marty Schottenheimer, and their own Palace of Versailles, Arrowhead Stadium, filled with crowds of loyal, red-clad, scream ing fans that give it maybe the best home team atmosphere in pro football. Plus, the players, coaches and media claim that with the addi tion of two powerhouse defensive players in veterans Chester McGlockton and Leslie O'Neil, this “could be the year.” Of course, that cliche has pol luted Kansas City’s air since Shottenheimer took over. Every year, the Chiefs bulldoze their way through the regular season only to fall into the tank in the playoffs. They re dreamers. They’re pretenders. They’re a bunch of teases. The Chiefs are like the girl of your dreams you spot and talk to at a party - a girl that you would give anything to go out with. They look good, give you what you want for a while, but when the time comes to take that next step and go for your destiny, they break your heart. So, if everything goes accord ing to the past, this Chiefs season promises the usual: Some incred ible victories over top NFL teams at Arrowhead, lots of easy wins against division opponents, a heartbreaking loss to the Broncos in which Shottenheimer will lose his red-hot, vein-popping head, and a meltdown in the playoffs that will make fans like me more bitter than a disgruntled postal worker for yet another off-sea son. So, to spare myself this agony of unanswered prayers, I think I’ll just say sweet dreams until the Super Bowl. I sure hope the Chiefs will be there, but I’m not counting on it anymore! Gaskins is a sophomore broadcasting major and a Daily Nebraskan staff writer. Brown credits team for record By Shannon Heffelfinger Senior staff writer Somewhere between the 27-yard line and the Nebraska sideline, Kris Brown allowed himself to smile - to silently congratulate himself for breaking the Cornhuskers' all-time scoring record Saturday at Memorial Stadium. During his short jog off the field, the significance of the his third-quar ter field goal kick dawned on Brown. He thought briefly of Mike Rozier, Johnny Rodgers and Ahman Green - the names that sit behind his on the NU scoring chart. But the moment quickly passed, and he trotted back onto the field with his tee, ready for the ensuing kickoff. Everything was business as usual. Years from now, Brown expects his record to mean more to him. Because now, as the end of his career at Nebraska approaches, Brown has chosen to shift his focus from records and individual goals to his relationships with his teammates The senior place-kicker carries people, not records, in his heart. “I didn’t set any individual goals for myself before the season began,” Brown said. “My goals are team goals. “I really want to enjoy my team mates and my coaches this season. That is what means the most to me. I want to enjoy every minute I have left here.” Brown doesn’t thirtk or say piuch about joining the ranks of Nebraska’s all-time leading scorers. He didn’t celebrate for himself after the game and he still hasn’t - 315 points does n’t seem like such a huge number when Brown considers the list of teammates who helped him to reach it. “I guess the thing is, I didn’t accomplish this by myself,” Brown said. “When we line up for field goals, there are 11 guys on the field. 1 couldn't have broken that record without the snapper or the holder or the guys on the line. They deserve just as much credit. “This is a team game. You accom plish things together.” Brown’s list of individual accom plishments at Nebraska runs long. In addition to his scoring record, Brown holds school records for points after Mike Warren/DN KRIS BROWN puts another one through the uprights during Nebraska’s second home game against the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Brown moved into first place on the all-time Nebraska scoring charts after kicking a field goal during Nebraska’s 38-7 victory. touchdowns (92) and consecutive field goals (17). As a junior in 1997, Brown earned First-Team Academic All-Big 12 and Honorable Mention All-Big 12 honors. “That record (the all-time scoring mark) and those things mean a lot to him, but you would never know it by the way he practices,” said NU Assistant Coach Dan Young, Brown’s kicking coach. “I think that shows the work ethic that he has. He just gets things done.” Brown deems such an attitude necessary for his position. As a kicker, Brown doesn’t inter act with most of his teammates in practices. He doesn’t participate in tackling drills. He isn't subjected to the daily pounding most of the Huskers endure. “Sometimes I feel like I’m at practice for about five minutes,” Please see BROWN on 8 Football Starters < Nebraska Starters Offense Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. OB 12 Bobby Newcombe 6-0 195 IB 36 Correll Buckhalter 6-0 225 F8 45 Joef Makovtcka 611 240 WB 5 Shevin Wiggins 5-11 200 SE 6 Kenny Cheatham 6-4 210 TE 88 Sheldon Jackson 6-5 245 LT 69 AdamJbteh 65 315 LG 63 James Sherman 6-2 295 C 59 JoshHeskew 63 290 RG 72 Ben Gessford 6-2 290 RT 65 Jason Schwab 61 300 PK 35 Kris Brown 5-10 205 California Starters Offense Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. QB 10 Justin Vedder 60 200 TB 4 Marcuc Fields 6-2 210 F8 40 Joshua White 611 240 WR 81 Dameane Douglas 6-1 190 WR 88 Phititp Pipersbucg 610, 180 TE 45 A.J. Kunkle 6-2 230 LT 64 JohnWefcoum 65 315 LG 76 Tate McCallister 6-3 285 C 73 John Romero , , 63 315 RG 60 Reed Diehl 6-4 285 AT 7tri KewnDoherty T 65 300 PK 27 Ignacio Brache 6-0 210 Saturday 6:30 p.m. Memorial Stadium Berkely, Calif. Fox Sports Defense Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. LR 57 ChadKelsay 6-3 250 NT 96 Steve Warren 6-1 305 DT 91 LoravKaiWf 6-5 280 RR 84 Mike Rucker 6-6 260 SLB 46 Brian Shaw 6-1 215 MLB 44 Jay Foreman 6-1 240 WLB 2(7 ErfcJOhnson 6-1 205 LCB 16 Erwin Swiney 6-0 185 FS 21 Mke Brown 5-10 205 ROV 25 Joe Walker 5-10 200 RC8 22 Ralph Brown 5-9 180 P 23 Bill Lafleur 5-11 200 Defense Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. DE 33 John McLaughlin 6-4 240 NT 94 Jacob Waasdorp 6-2 250 DT 98 Jetty Deloach 6-4 310 DE 73 Andre Carter 6-4 245 QLB t3 Sekou Sanyika 6-3 230 ILB 42 Justin Flagg 6-1 235 y i 44 Albert Dofsey 6-2 235 LCB 31 Derrick Gardner 6-0 185 FS 20 Pete Destefano 6-2 215 SS 9 Marquis Smith 6-3 220 RC8 25 Chiditwuoma 5-9 175 P 89 Nick Harris 6-3 205 Jon Frank/DN Huskers at full strength for Invite ■ After losing its first game of the season, No. 24 Nebraska looks to rebound this weekend against Clemson and Stanford. By Jay Saunders Staff writer Of the 22 players on the Nebraska soccer team, only four were on the field Oct. 15,1995. That is the last time the Comhuskers lost at home - a 3-1 set back against SMU. Last weekend, Wisconsin-Milwaukee beat the Huskers 2-1 in overtime. “The players are determined to not let that happen again,” NU Coach John Walker said. To avoid its second consecutive home loss, which also hasn’t happened since 1995, the Huskers will have to defeat two ranked teams. Nebraska hosts the Husker Fila Invitational this weekend at the Abbott Sports Complex. NU faces No. 8 Clemson at 7 p.m. Friday, and goes up against No. 20 Stanford at 1 p.m. Sunday. “When players come here,” Walker said, “these are the kinds of games they are looking for. It will be business as usual for us. There aren’t going to be any major changes.” The first ever Husker Fila Invitational will be the first road trip of the year for Clemson. The Tigers vault ed to No. 8 in the NSCAA/Umbro coaches’ poll after home wins against Auburn and No. 18 Maryland. Senior Becky Hogan, who played for NU in 1995, said the team isn’t wor ried about where Clemson is ranked. “We were Number Eight and look what happened,” Hogan said. “But Clemson is a perennial powerhouse and we will have to play our best soccer.” NU may benefit from the possible IIBBMKJ return of junior Lindsay Eddleman from injury. The Huskers also welcome back a group of three players who missed last week’s game while playing for the Canadian national team. Sophomore Karina LeBlanc and juniors Amy Walsh and Isabelle Morneau helped Canada qualify for next year’s World Cup, but Hogan said she is glad they are back on this side of the border. “Congratulations to the Canadians,” Hogan said, “but it is great to have them back. They instantly bring a sort of a Nebraska tradition.” Even with their return, Walker said the Huskers are still depleted. However, he said, the return will help the younger players, who played a role in last weekend’s loss. “We are looking at two of the better teams in the country this weekend,” Walker said. “Any time you can bring experienced players back that helps.” NU hitter leads with loud style By Andrew Strnad Staff writer Loud and obnoxious. Those aren’t the usual traits that describe team leaders, but then again, this isn’t a usual team leader. Outside hitter Jaime Krondak is one of three seniors who have been tagged as leaders of the fourth ranked Nebraska volleyball team. While Krondak wouldn’t go so far to call herself a “ringleader,” she likes being called unconventional. “I’m loud and obnoxious, Fiona (Nepo) is loud and obnoxious,” Krondak said. “We have no prob Please see KRONDAK on 8