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Friday, September 5, 2008

Mayer

Mayer: There’s still time to shine

By Bill Mayer

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Kansas football coach Mark Mangino produced chuckles galore last season while discussing KU's spotty longtime football record. In a masterpiece of drollery, he noted that "anybody can have a bad century." Certainly the Jayhawks never threatened the excellence of Notre Dame, Michigan or Ohio State in that 1900-2000 span.

But KU had its moments of glory in those hundred years. So far this century, there's only a 45-51 start, so Mark and his successors face a major challenge over the ensuing 82 years.

A year back, KU was trying to win a ninth straight game in a single season. That's something it had not done since Bert Kennedy's 1908 Mount Oread titans posted a 9-0 regular-season mark in the process of compiling an 18-0 streak. That didn't end until a 12-6 loss to Missouri in the 1909 finale. The run began with a win over Missouri in St. Joseph, Mo., to end the 1907 campaign. Nothing like that since.

Glossiest single-season feat in Jayhawk annals was the 10-0 that Fielding Yost and Co. accomplished in 1899. Further, Mangino or anyone else will have to be able to walk on water or rent a tomb for only three days before duplicating KU's 53-9-4 in the 1904-10 span under Kennedy.

The cautious Mangino last fall was trying to prevent people from getting too high while KU was en route to 12-0 before the Missouri derailment. He wanted to temper the excitement to show it would take a lot more time for Kansas to overcome its erratic past. He currently has the Jayhawks en route to a dual goal of consistency and achievement.

Mangino with his current 38-36 record as KU's mahatma has moved to No. 4 on the victory list among the 35 coaches here. Leading the way is Kennedy with his 53-9-4. No. 2 is Glen Mason at 47-54-1. Ranking third ahead of Mangino's 38-36 is Jack Mitchell at 44-42-5. Note that Jack remains the last coach to leave here (1966) with a winning record. No. 5 on the win list is Don Fambough, 36-49-5 for eight seasons.

You tell the average fan that Mitchell was the last departee with a plus mark and they scoff. They are sure Mason or Pepper Rodgers won more games than they lost, but Mason posted his 47-54-2 and Rodgers was 20-22 when he left for UCLA.

What a difference one season can make, certainly for Kansas and Mangino.

Many railbirds thought athletic director Lew Perkins was certifiably nuts when before the 2006 season he handed Mangino a new contract at $1.5 million a year plus incentives through 2010. When in the history of college football has any coach landed such a deal with a mere 25-35 record, which it what it was at the time? Name one. I can't.

The 2007 prospects, however, looked fairly decent with four cupcakes in the leadoff spots. Then that sensational 12-1 hiked the Mangino record to 37-36 and produced an even niftier ($2.3 million-plus) contract.

Lots to be done to make the 21st century worth bragging about, but maybe the plotting-planning Mangino is laying a solid foundation for such.

Comments

Rivethead (anonymous) says...

Ya think? Mayer you're a master at the obvious.

September 5, 2008 at 7:22 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

patton6 (anonymous) says...

Last I checked centuries were 100 years long. You might want to check your math there, Bill (tip: 8+82=90).

September 5, 2008 at 8:15 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

OutlawJHawk (anonymous) says...

I am just happy we still have writer who was alive for that superb 1908 campaign. Thank you for past century of coverage, Mr. Mayer.

September 5, 2008 at 8:33 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

okjhok (anonymous) says...

Aw yes, good ol' Fielding Yost.

Did anyone gather what Mayer's point was with this one, or is he just babbling again?

September 5, 2008 at 9:07 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

txrockchalk (anonymous) says...

Are you guys trying to upset the normally mild-mannered jross1972? I am fairly certain he receives a text alert when a negative comment is posted on a Bill Mayer article. The only advice I can give you now is, man your battle stations :)

September 5, 2008 at 9:44 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

FlaHawk (anonymous) says...

Bill Mayer missed two great KU FB Trivia questions with his reference to Coach Yost.

To wit:

Q1 What does the University of Michigan Wolverines FB program have in common with the KU Jayhawk (and the NU, Stanford and Ohio Wesleyan football progams) football program?

A1 Fielding Yost who was one of the all-time great football coaches and AD at UM (42 years). I believe the FB field in Ann Arbor and the Old Fieldhouse were at one time named after the late great Mr Yost.

Q2 Who is the only unbeaten FB coach ever at KU?

A2 Fielding Yost whose 10-0 record in 899 stands forever unblemished!

These would be more interesting that this dribble of an article!

I like facts and not rambling opinions!

September 5, 2008 at 10:28 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

FlaHawk (anonymous) says...

Oops!

Make the perfect record in 1899 as KU footbal does not go back to 899 AD or BC :-)!

September 5, 2008 at 10:31 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

jradds (anonymous) says...

Paragraph 2 math error
paragraph typo it should be is
wow, nice piece of work... for a third grader.

September 5, 2008 at 11:44 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

dagger108 (anonymous) says...

And the other editorial correction: If KU finished 12-1, and won the OB after the mizzoo game, that would make them 11-0 going into Arrowhead (vs. 12-0, P5). You could also see that we only played 11 games before Arrowhead, but either way a sad, sad ooops.

That being said, it is nice to have some historical perspective. Keep Sawin'.

September 5, 2008 at 12:04 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

JBurtin (anonymous) says...

I sure am glad the LJW has you guys to edit for them. Whatever would they do otherwise?

I guess if dagger didn't have the reading comprehension of a third grader he would have noticed that Mayer said they were "en route" to 12-0 before a derailment. Thus Mayer is well aware that we never reached the 12-0 mark.

September 5, 2008 at 2:37 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

njjayhawk (anonymous) says...

Bill, I like your columns. Who else can take a rabid long time Jayhawk fan and grad back to the KU sporting years past? No one, unless it's Max. And you tell it like it is - no non-sense and you leave the over-hype of the current LJW sports writers out of your writings.

Yes, Mangino is a god, but I remember only several years ago, most of JayhawkNation wanted him out, fired, gone. And now those same morons worship at Mangino's feet. Laughable, indeed.

I pick KU at 8-4 this year, which will land a solid bowl and be a great testament to the team and to steady progress.

September 5, 2008 at 5:23 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Strikewso (anonymous) says...

I was told there would be no math.

I hope Mangino can catch Glen Mason this year, that would be awesome.

I heard that one of Glen's assistants quit after getting pissed off about having to drive him to his mistress's house and wait for him to get "done." He finally got sick of it and drove off and left Mason to get his own ride home.

September 5, 2008 at 8:07 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

OutlawJHawk (anonymous) says...

I was being sincere about my appreciation of Mayer, even though I obviously was joking about him being around during the 1908 season (I think). Let's show a little more respect for one of our most elder Jayhawks. Please cut him a little slack...he is one of only a handful of journalists that REALLY knows are favorite teams history and can convey things we younger people never saw (think of your grandpa before you crap on his articles).

Let him share and continue to document KU history...we are lucky to have him.

Thank you Bill for your enduring loyalty to KU and its history.

September 6, 2008 at 10:04 p.m. ( | suggest removal )