Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Woodling

Woodling: Probation may sting KU yet

By Chuck Woodling

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Chat about 40 years worth of Border Showdowns with Journal-World sports writer Chuck Woodling

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Reader poll

Personnel-wise, who do you think creates the the biggest matchup problem for KU's defense?

  • QB Chase Daniel 35% 1656 votes
  • RB Tony Temple 1% 72 votes
  • TE Martin Rucker 9% 463 votes
  • TE Chase Coffman 6% 289 votes
  • Do-it-all Jeremy Maclin 44% 2045 votes
  • Someone else 2% 114 votes

4639 total votes.

Lost in the euphoria of this stunningly serendipitous Kansas University football season has been any notion of assessing its impact on the big picture.

While the Jayhawks' 11-0 start has been a short-term delight, the long-range effect could be even more significant based on what happened just 13 months ago.

In case you had forgotten, KU is on NCAA probation and will remain in the doghouse through 2009 based on instances of compliance shortcomings that occurred between 2000 and 2005.

As part of that probation, the Jayhawks' football program will lose three scholarships next year and three more for the following year. In other words, coach Mark Mangino can offer only 44 grants over the next two school years instead of the NCAA maximum of 50.

A six-scholarship cutback may not seem harmful on the surface, but in these times of parity even the slightest shortcoming can rise up and bite a program.

Now, however, with the Jayhawks a national media darling, Mangino and his staff are likely to be invited into many living rooms closed to them in the past.

So even though the Jayhawks will have three fewer grants to offer, the 22 players Mangino signs next February will be more talented - in theory, anyway - than the 22 he would have signed if, say, the Jayhawks had compiled a 7-5 record and produced no national buzz.

Parenthetically, I should mention that Mangino has taken Kansas into uncharted territory this fall even though KU, in anticipation of the upcoming NCAA penalty, docked itself one football scholarship in each of the last two years.

Then again, two fewer scholarships in two years isn't the same as losing six grants over the same period.

Meanwhile, if you're wondering about Al Bohl, the KU athletic director who hired Mangino in late 2001 and was the scapegoat for KU's NCAA transgressions, I can tell you he won't be at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday.

Bohl, who has lived in St. Augustine, Fla., since KU Chancellor Robert Hemenway fired him in the spring of 2003, will be at a book signing in Orange Park, Fla. He and his son Brett have co-authored a book entitled "Getting to Thanksgiving."

According to Bohl's Web site, the new book "exposes the dynamic interactions that can occur between family members and humbly reminds us to teach our children well, and to grow from our own experiences to become worthy role models."

I'm not sure how much of a role model Bohl is for budding athletic directors because the probation-producing gaffes - mainly his refusal to upgrade the compliance division of the athletic department - occurred under his watch.

Nevertheless, it should be pointed out that Bohl accomplished two notable positives during his short tenure on Mount Oread - 1) he hired Mangino, and 2) he led the charge to remove tailgating restrictions around Memorial Stadium.

These days, when Bohl isn't putting prose on paper, he speaks to civic groups and serves as an adjunct professor of sports management at Flagler College in St. Augustine.

If he wants to take some of the credit for the Jayhawks' current success, that's OK. But if the KU program suffers over the next two seasons, then he will have to shoulder some of the blame, too.

KU Football

Comments

Jayhawk86 (anonymous) says...

I try my best to stay positive, but..... What is the purpose of this article at this time? Wet blanket???

November 20, 2007 at 8:01 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

KUBowler99 (anonymous) says...

Woodling...what's the point of the article this week? The biggest game for both programs...ever...and you decide to write this?

We get it. Mangino screwed up...by not keeping tabs on his assistants. We lose schollies next year. We get it.

How you still have a job is a mystery to me.

November 20, 2007 at 8:18 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

LHS1980 (anonymous) says...

Al who?

November 20, 2007 at 8:21 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

troutsee (anonymous) says...

Another Woodling downer article. Isn't he something? Great timing!

November 20, 2007 at 8:29 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

palewhale (anonymous) says...

The title gets under my skin. Makes it sound like more sanctions are coming. At least it got me to open the article...sadly.

November 20, 2007 at 8:39 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

NEJhawk (anonymous) says...

Don't fret your little head Chucky....we havn't forgot about your precious Basketball team.

November 20, 2007 at 9:03 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

KU (anonymous) says...

You got me running going out of my mind
You got me thinking me that I'm wasting my time

{Refrain}
Don't bring me down
No, no, no, no, no, ooh ooh
I'll tell you once more before I get off the floor
Don't bring me down

Don't bring me down, Chuck
Don't bring me down, Chuck
Don't bring me down, Chuck
Don't bring me down

A little ELO for your enjoyment this morning.

Rock Chalk

November 20, 2007 at 9:39 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Phogfan86 (anonymous) says...

Chuck, your stripes are showing.

Of all the things you could've chosen to write, you trot our your Smith Corona and hunt-and-peck this? Let it go, old man.

November 20, 2007 at 9:41 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

konzahawk (anonymous) says...

Chucky is a Hillbilly alum.

November 20, 2007 at 10:46 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

milehighhawk (anonymous) says...

Weak sauce.

So what??? It's SIX scholarships over TWO years. If it was basketball, it would warrant a story...but even then, you wouldn't print that trash with a national title in the picture.

Awful timing.

November 20, 2007 at 10:47 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...

Excellent use of Electric Light Orchestra, KU.

November 20, 2007 at 11:10 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

dragonhawk (anonymous) says...

Woodling, you remind me of one of my friends who professes to be a KU fan but can never say anything good about them. Why to they continue to pay you for this kind of column?

November 20, 2007 at 11:53 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Jaminrawk (anonymous) says...

What is the point of this article again? We should start calling Chuck "Debbie Downer" from now on.

I think I can sum the mood of this article up with a quote from the "Wedding Singer":

Glenn's buddy: Robbie Hart? Oh, man, I heard what happened to you at your wedding, that was so cold! You must've felt like $#!%!

Robbie: No, it felt real good, thanks for bringing that up, man. Hey, my parents died when I was ten, would you like to talk about that?

Glenn's buddy: No, why would I wanna talk about that?

Robbie: I don't know

November 20, 2007 at 12:59 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

KU (anonymous) says...

bmcmich1......Thanks for the ELO props. I long for the days of playing basketball in my parent's backyard until midnight listening to the likes of ELO and Boston and Kansas (the musical groups) on the eight track player!!! lol

November 20, 2007 at 1:23 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

KUFan90 (anonymous) says...

I was really pumped for Saturday's game until I read this. Now I'm just depressed about this team's future over the next couple of years. Makes Saturday's game not even worth watching. Bummer.

Silver lining : Woodling reminded me of the pending loss of schollies which had kind of fallen off my radar. Thanks again.

November 20, 2007 at 1:25 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

JayViking (anonymous) says...

Everytime Chuck "Debbie Downer" Woodling writes an article, a kitten dies.

November 20, 2007 at 2:24 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

seattlehawk_78 (anonymous) says...

I've usually been one to defend LJW writers but I must say, even though there is merit to this story the timing seems inappropriate. Perhaps the offseason would have been a better time to bring this up.

November 20, 2007 at 2:40 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

blogthis (anonymous) says...

Chuck "the sky is falling" Woodling does it again.

Snatches defeat from the jaws of victory.

RETIRE!!!

November 20, 2007 at 4 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

UninalWorld (anonymous) says...

Okay, I get the whole Woodling thing. He's a hack. But, you gotta wonder about the guy who let's him loose. Is it a case of "Simons Says"?

November 20, 2007 at 4:34 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

kujayhawk7476 (anonymous) says...

This isn't the end of "downer" columns from LJ Workd writers. Just wait, I'm positive Bill Mayer will write about the probation of some 50 years ago! He hasn't looked at calendar in that long and has no idea we are in the 21st century!

November 20, 2007 at 4:52 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

sevenyearhawk (anonymous) says...

wet blanket!!!

Mr. Woodling, I know some of your family from Georgia ... yet you probably don't realize it.

You've let me, them, yourself and everyone else down - shame on you!

*wags finger*

November 20, 2007 at 5:29 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Jhaux (anonymous) says...

Bad Chuck. Bad, bad Chuck.

November 20, 2007 at 5:48 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

sss4ever82 (anonymous) says...

lol...wow, I didn't think that there would be this many comments, but dang I was thinking the same thing...goodness gracious chuck, this is getting absurd...

November 20, 2007 at 6:10 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

troutsee (anonymous) says...

So many positive things to write about this week and this guy picks this topic. Unbelievable. He should be fired. Period.

November 20, 2007 at 7:14 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

tmorris (anonymous) says...

This is the most joyous, entertaining season since 1968. As complicated as the world is in everyday life...a group of kids make so many people so happy by having a great season...why is it necessary to write an article regarding the NCAA's reduced scholarship limit about some gaffe from years ago? Nice job Chuck. This is why you got stuffed into lockers during your Jr. High and High School years....

November 20, 2007 at 7:45 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Brock (anonymous) says...

Up Chuck!

Brock

November 20, 2007 at 7:53 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Goforit (anonymous) says...

Once again Chuck is here to make our day bright. He was a waste as a reporter 50 years ago and he has done nothing to improve.

He is worse as a softball pitcher!

Chuck, take you bad attitude and negative comments and place them somewhere where someone will appreciate them...maybe Missouri!

November 20, 2007 at 8:47 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

ku_fan25 (anonymous) says...

o well 6 scholarships really wont hurt.
we have a great class coming in theres a few good guys we havent signed yet that are interested and im sure will sign later the one player i hope we get is cyrus gray the No. 5 Running back in the country according to rivals.com but i think we are going to be fine

November 20, 2007 at 11:14 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

mushhawk (anonymous) says...

yeah......thanks for peeing on our party woodling!

what is the point of this article, indeed!!!???

thanks debbie downer!!! wwwhhhaaa-wuwuwuwaahh...

November 21, 2007 at 12:02 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

jprich (anonymous) says...

Honestly, I didn't think it was too bad. I can only take so much 'good news' at a time. I'm excited for this weekend's game, but how many times can we read "KU has never reached this level before, plays significant game against biggest rival"? If everyone wants to read articles praising KU and all its glory (which I admit is nice every now and then) go read the UDK.

November 21, 2007 at 12:37 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

lalawguy (anonymous) says...

I think Chuck is making a good point by writing this article now. Now matter how Saturday's game ends, we can all agree that KU had a great football season this year! When next year rolls around and it seems that despite our successes, we have only obtained a handful of great recruits, we now have a better understanding as to why that happened.

As for Al Bohl, I have a hard time believing that he was the sole driving force behind Mangino's hiring. I find it much easier to believe that he was the primary reason for Roy William's departure from KU. Compare those two items, and I still say replacing Bob Fredericks with Bohl was a bad move. At least we were fortunate enough to get Coach Self, who has done a great job with the basketball team. As for Mangino, I certainly like him, but he still needs to prove that this one awesome season was not a fluke!

November 21, 2007 at 1:57 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

NEJhawk (anonymous) says...

This is not a one article thing. In past seasons....this guy has always been there to hose down the Football team to get his basketball articles going....

November 21, 2007 at 5:06 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

GrayHawker (anonymous) says...

And he couldn't even get the facts straight!! Good grief. If you are going to write a "slam" article, at least know what you are talking about.

KU has the restriction one more year. This is the last class for the limit of scholarships.

If he would bother to check, he would also find out that KU has so many younger players on scholarship, they could NOT sign more then the 22 in this class anyway. It sure has killed them that they have the maximum possible on scholarship anyway.

November 23, 2007 at 7:18 a.m. ( | suggest removal )