If there’s a more worthless piece of garbage at the University of Kansas, I don’t want to know about it. There are plenty of good wastes of taxpayer dollars on Mount Oread (none worse than the Interfraternity Council), but nothing and I mean nothing is a bigger piece of trash than the goalpost hinges at Memorial Stadium. For those of you who don’t know about these horrifying hinges here’s some background. Following last year’s 35-14 win over Missouri, the KU athletics department looked at different ways to protect its goalposts from fan celebration. Ultimately, KU officials decided to put the posts on what is essentially a giant door hinge. The goalposts, they said, could be toppled by stadium workers in seconds, preventing injury and possible theft. To help ease the goalposts to the ground, KU designated four staff members who, after every game, would lower the posts using what looked like giant piano tuning forks. Usually, the goalposts weren’t down in seconds at times, it took as long as two or three minutes but everyone seemed satisfied that the system would work. For the better part of a year, win or lose, the posts were lowered following every game. Even in ridiculous situations, such as when the Jayhawks blew a 25-point lead against Texas Tech, the tuning fork men went to work. But on Saturday, the Jayhawks did the impossible. They beat Kansas State. Needless to say, the goalposts and the tuning forks were no match for the estimated 10,000 students that stormed the field. KU officials succeeded in taking down the posts on the north side of the stadium, but the south side uprights had no chance against the surging student crowd. When the game ended, workers abandoned the forks and let chaos reign. After roughly ten minutes of student pressure, the posts tumbled into the arms of the adoring crowd. Last year, when the hinges were installed, the chief concern of KU officials was student safety. They wanted to avoid a situation similar to what occurred a few years ago at Ball State University, when a 21-year-old student was paralyzed when a goalpost fell on him. But on Saturday night, while the football team chalked up its biggest success in years, the hinge system miserably failed. Instead of thinking of the best interest of its students, KU played Russian roulette with a set of aluminum posts. In a blind stroke of luck, nobody was hurt, but officials need to do something more than buy a couple of hinges and some giant forks. If KU is seriously interested in becoming a football power and not just a flash in the pan the university needs to invest in a set of steel goalposts and some serious crowd control. For around $30,000, KU can purchase a set of steel goalposts that are guaranteed never to fall down. Such posts are already common at universities around the country, and newer models are an improvement over the steel posts ripped out of KSU Stadium in 1998. Also, the university needs to find a way to control its student section, whether it’s higher fences or more security. On Saturday night, security guards simply watched instead of trying to stop the rushing crowd. Finally, Jayhawk football fans need to realize that not every win is worthy of storming the field. I can think of several instances such as a win over Missouri in 1999, and two other victories over Colorado where such celebrations were juvenile and unnecessary. Simply put — it’s time to start acting like a real football school. Besides, with the way Johnny Beck is kicking lately, we might actually need those goalposts.**Week Seven Picks (Last Week: 1-3, Rigg’s Season: 14-13) Chiefs 13, Jacksonville 10:** Chiefs are a step closer to resurfacing in the weak AFC West. **Lawrence High 24, Washburn Rural 3:** Lions take out a frustrating loss to Olathe South on the Junior Blues. **Free State 17, Topeka High 13:**Don’t look now, but the Firebirds could start a winning streak. **Upset Special: Arizona State 24, USC 23:**Sparky shocks the Trojans. Holly Naylor celebrates at [the Mad Hatter.][1]**Big Tex’s Picks (Last Week: 1-3, Season 12-15) Chiefs 31, Jaguars 13:** The Jags hot start has been derailed. And, after a win and a bye week, the tomahawk choppers should be good to go. It’s time for KC to show that the first three weeks of the season were a joke. **Lawrence High 27, Washburn Rural 14** I’d pick the Lions to win by two touchdowns. But they don’t know how to kick extra points. Olathe South is very happy about that. **Free State 21, Topeka High 7** If the Firebirds want to advance to the post season with a losing record, they’ll have to beat T-High. It’s at home, unless, of course, the goal posts don’t arrive on time. **Upset Special: Kansas St. 27, Oklahoma 21** You saw it here first. Wildcats rebound from humiliating loss in Lawrence to hammer the Sooners on a down week after the Red River Rollover. Adrian Peterson gets his numbers, but Dylan Meier starts (like he should have last week). Wabash Cannonball everyone! Aggieville will be gone by mornin’! [1]: http://www2.lawrence.com/places/mad_hatter_bar_grill/