Call it a victory gift Dana Anderson simply couldn’t pass up.
Anderson, whose family is the namesake of Kansas University’s new strength and conditioning center, Monday cut a check for more than $3,000 to cover the cost of about 115 footballs — the spoils of victory from KU’s 35-14 thrashing of Missouri in Saturday’s annual Border War showdown.
“Coach (Mark Mangino) said down in the locker room that he was going to give everybody a game ball — all the players and the coaches,” said Anderson, a longtime KU supporter and businessman in Los Angeles. “I think those kids have really improved, and I think the coaches have done an awesome job. I’m just ecstatic. I couldn’t be happier with the program and what they’ve done.”
Anderson knew his name would come up. Back in 1998, as he watched the Jayhawks crush Colorado at Memorial Stadium, Anderson reveled so much in the crowd’s toppling of goal posts that he immediately promised to finance their replacements — and any others tossed into Potter Lake after the Jayhawks should beat a top-15 team.
The Tigers came into Saturday’s game ranked No. 23, letting Anderson off the hook for each of the necessary replacements.
But he might get a chance to cough up some more cash Nov. 8, when Nebraska comes to town. The undefeated Cornhuskers haven’t lost in Lawrence since 1968, and a KU win certainly would send administrators on another metal shopping spree.
“We’ll continue to help, believe me,” said Anderson, who has attended all KU games this year. “That was a fabulous win. Fantastic. Now we’ll just play them one game at a time, and we’ll see where we go.”