Time for this Kansas University football squad and its coaches to get that chip of inferiority off their collective shoulder. Need to stop acting as if they’ve been mistreated and finally are allowed to spend some time in the barn like a batch of chilled hoboes. They’re better than that and should be pleased about it rather than victimizing themselves.

Enough comments about “we’ve been hearing and reading how bad we are and now we’ve shown ’em we belong.” Guess that’s aimed at the media people who, fact is, have been pretty darn favorable toward the Jayhawks — even when they were playing dumb and losing games they should have won from Northwestern, Texas Tech and Nebraska.

When Kansas has played poorly, that’s been chronicled. When KU’s pulled off stunners like the hook-and-ladder, Mark Simmons’s grab and John Randle’s terrific run against Kansas State, it has been lauded. (By the way, watch Randle block sometime. He can run, catch, block, play defense, run kicks … quite a package. The beauty is that KU again is producing a long list of “names” for fans to adore, big change from the collective anonymity of the Terry Allen era).

The record might be 5-1, even 6-0, if the Kansans had played smarter in those defeats. By that I mean those bonehead penalties the Jayhawks committed at critical times. Four points shy against Northwestern, two short against T-Tech; seven more and they would have beaten Nebraska. How many crucial first downs did those three foes get because KU was whistled for a penalty?

When you’re not an upper-level club, you have to play a lot smarter than Kansas has. If the coaches haven’t broken out the whips and chairs to drive that home, they need to during the respite prior to the Oklahoma test.

Actually, the coach dwelled more than the players on how they perceived disrespect from the media and that they were “hungry” and “motivated” to prove their critics wrong. Fact is, both fans and media people have been quite charitable about this crew. Most recognize that the team is much improved and is dealing with a suicide schedule effectively.

But anymore it’s a given: Teams win often and whine how they’re being overlooked by such meaningless entities as polls; they struggle and contend they’re being maligned; they finally win a few and suddenly it’s a case of “we sure showed them.”

Athletic people are like gripers in the armed forces: The only good status is where you’ve been or where you’re going, never where you are.

The Jayhawks are in a pretty good place right now and ought to be focusing on winning at least three of their five games and getting another bowl trip. If they can eliminate the penalties, slice turnovers, keep from missing open receivers and have more receivers who hold onto rather than drop the football, they can bag three more foes. But not if they dwell on how they think they’re being “dissed.”

¢

KU coach Mark Mangino made a vital point when he declared that the Kansas-Kansas State rivalry has been revived and again means something. Why? Because Kansas finally won after an 11-year drought. Sure KU has only a “string of one” to dangle proudly for a year, but it beats the bejabbers out of KSU’s slapping a 12-game mastery across the Jayhawk beak.

What’s a rivalry? Gary Williams, the Maryland basketball coach, put it just about like Mangino recently when he was discussing the way Maryland and Duke have become such fierce rivals. When did that begin? “When we began to win (against Duke),” replied Williams, whom KU tried to get here just before it settled on Roy Williams. “To have a real rivalry you need a situation where both teams figure they have a good chance to take the next game. We’ve reached that stage with Duke and have won enough. Now it’s a challenge for them and for us, and fans get excited.”

Same for Kansas and Kansas State. The Jayhawk-Wildcat “rivalry” had withered badly because KSU ruled the roost for so long, and KU fans had begun to accept an annual defeat — same as the ‘Cats fans have been beaten down by KU’s 27-game basketball streak.

But it’s back. K-State is relishing the chance to beat KU again next year, and Kansas can’t wait to prove it’s back in control of a series that now stands at 62-35-5 in the Jayhawks’ favor. The fun’s back in the jibing between the Purples and the Blues, so turn out the lights and call the law.

By the way, think how much more classy Kansas fans were than some of their counterparts in other college towns after a big athletic victory. Sure, the goalposts toppled, but fortunately nobody got hurt and there was no rampage to destroy property on the campus or downtown and there were no serious injuries. Congrats, fans.

¢

Many know that Phog Allen coached Kansas basketball 39 years; that Larry Brown had an exciting five-year span; that Roy Williams had a glitzy 15-year reign. Don’t forget old Teddy Basketball, Ted Owens, who created a lot of thrills and enjoyment in his 19 seasons (1964-83). There was a 348-182 record, two NCAA Final Four trips, seven NCAA tourney entries, lots of conference glory and we saw stars like Jo Jo White, Darnell Valentine, Dave Robisch, Bud Stallworth and Walt Wesley — only five among many.

The Bert Nash Mental Health Clinic is offering a Ted Owens and Friends event Nov. 4, like the Don Fambrough football bash, and the Holidome will be jumping with celebrities and fond and hilarious recollections. KU’s Bill Self, like Teddy an Oklahoman, will head the list of the famous. If the wife won’t let you out, bring her. May be better than kissing her goodbye.