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San Antonio Buzz: River showdown
KC & The Sunshine Band’s “Get Down Tonight” blasted from the speakers surrounding a River Walk patio party. A toasty midafternoon sun beat down on the blue-clad fans from Memphis and Kansas, and the drinks were flowing. And flowing. And flowing.
Then all heck broke loose — in a good way.
Two Memphis water taxis, one filled with cheerleaders and the other with the band, came cruising down the river. The Kansas band and cheerleaders already were loaded onto another water taxi, and the battle of the bands was under way. Roughly 15 feet of filthy water separated the sides, which went back and forth with tunes and taunts. Fans along the jam-packed River Walk danced and cheered and snapped photos.
Lawrence South
With North Carolina gone, Kansas fans owned the River Walk on Sunday night and during the early-morning Monday hours. KU fans outnumbered Memphis around 10-1 as the River Walk pubs closed, turning the famed entertainment area into Massachusetts Street South. Howl At The Moon, for example, became a mini-Allen Fieldhouse, with KU chants echoing through the joint.
But it was a UCLA fan, presumably (he was with a buddy wearing Bruins gear), who fell into the water as he stumbled along the River Walk. Bad weekend for Bruins fans.
Roy still cares
Roy Williams wasn’t wearing his heart on his sleeve; instead, it was a Jayhawk on his shirt. Williams, the former KU coach, received an ovation from Kansas fans when he was shown on the Alamodome’s big screens wearing a Jayhawk sticker on his black shirt. He was still wearing the sticker when he did a TV interview later.
Priest speaks
Former Chiefs running back Priest Holmes appeared on San Antonio morning show “Great Day SA.” The host asked him hard-hitting questions such as, “How do you stay so humble?” and “Don’t you own 10,000 maps?” The answer to that one was “No.”
The only portion of the interview that was remotely interesting was Holmes recalling his retirement from the Chiefs last November.
“I was definitely ready because Thanksgiving was coming up,” Holmes said, “and I could eat what I wanted, drink what I wanted, and I could go to bed anytime that I wanted and there was no schedule that I had to commit myself to.”
Tip-ins
More than three hours before tipoff, scalpers were asking $1,800 for two tickets — which, of course, they said were “great seats.” … Here’s why sportswriters have such great physiques: Since Thursday, the media workroom has gone through 4,500 cookies, 30,000 cans of soda and 1,700 hot dogs.