LONDON (AP) — The Jayhawks and Sun Devils skipped tea and feasted on Shake Shack burgers along the Thames River.
asserted
Jayhawks → skip → River
Culture clashes abound as Kansas and Arizona State bring American college football to Wembley Stadium — the home of English football — in the inaugural Union Jack Classic on Saturday.
And the “Ted Lasso” references are unavoidable with both teams staying at hotels located near Richmond.
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teams → abound → Richmond
The Big 12 Conference matchup is an important one on the field — both teams want to avoid back-to-back losses
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teams → want → back
the trip also offers a chance for players to experience a European capital and be ambassadors for their sport.
“I know I haven’t done anything like this before,” ASU defensive lineman C.J. Fite said this week.
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Fite → offer → this
“To be able leave a country, play football in front of new fans ... and kind of figure out this new culture and be able to experience it, it’s a No. 1 thing for sure.”
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it → leave → it
The game organizers had arranged for boat trips on the Thames.
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organizers → arrange → Thames
Plus, they set up tables full of Shake Shack UK food for the players.
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they → set → players
On the boat tours, players snapped photos of Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster.
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players → snap → Westminster
A popular spot was Tower Bridge, where players strolled on the glass walkway that looks down on the bridge deck and the Thames.
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that → stroll → deck
“This is a lifetime opportunity for our players, for our program and, again, I can’t tell you how exited we are to be here and be part of this,” Kansas coach Lance Leipold said this week.
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Leipold → tell → this
His counterpart, Kenny Dillingham, was asked if he had anything fun planned outside of football.
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he → ask → football
“Absolutely not,” he responded.
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he → respond → ?
“We’re playing a football game.”
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We → play → game
Dillingham added there is “zero positive” from a football perspective in playing a Week 3 game internationally but, in the bigger picture, noted the once-in-a-lifetime experience for players.
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Dillingham → add → players
Indeed, ASU offensive lineman Jalen Klemm said it will be exciting “to play in front of a different country and a different culture that doesn’t experience football and college football as often as obviously we do in America.
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we → say → America
So I think it’s a great opportunity for us to just go out there and play our game and kind of show what Sun Devils football is about.”
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football → think → what
The Jayhawks, better known for their basketball, weren’t about to miss a layup.
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Jayhawks → know → layup
Their marching band and cheerleaders did a short performance at the Richmond plaza that’s instantly recognizable to fans of the Apple TV series “Ted Lasso.”
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that → do → series
It’s near where the fictional character — played by Kansas native Jason Sudeikis — lives.
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character → ’ → Sudeikis
A real Kansas coach — associate head coach Andy Kotelnicki, who handled the Jayhawks’ offense — had some Lasso-esque moments during his news conference Wednesday, including when he asked a local reporter how she spelled her name — because it’s also his dog’s name.
He also talked about being in the “foxhole” with quarterback Isaiah Marshall.
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He → handle → Marshall
Kotelnicki called a timeout during the session and said “gosh dang it” because he wanted more questions from London journalists.
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he → call → journalists
Kotelnicki asked for advice on where to get the best fish and chips but was told to skip that and go for a pie and mash instead.
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Kotelnicki → ask → pie
Organizers have a three-year contract with Wembley for an annual game with an option for a fourth year.
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Organizers → have → year
Brian Dubiski, CEO of the Union Jack Classic, recently told The Associated Press that they’re in talks about airline and hospitality partnerships but might not have a title sponsor until next year.
uncertain
they → tell → year
Wembley holds more than 86,000, but Dubiski is hoping for 60,000.
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Dubiski → hold → 60,000
An estimated 15,000 fans are coming from the U.S.
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fans → come → ?
Organizers added discounts on ticket four-packs and donated some to a U.K. organization that provide tickets to hospital workers.
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that → add → workers
“Would we like 80,000 people in the seats?
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we → like → seats
But anything over 40-to-50,000 is a viable business model,” Dubiski said.
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Dubiski → say → to-50,000
Back in 1988 — almost two years before Dillingham was born — the University of Richmond beat Boston University 20-17 at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in south London.
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University → bear → London
The teams played in Division 1-AA, which is now called the Football Championship Subdivision.
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which → play → Division
That one was billed as the Imperial Bowl.
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one → bill → Bowl
Attendance estimates varied, but 6,000 was the highest of them.
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6,000 → vary → them
A game program available on eBay shows the adult ticket price was 6 pounds.
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price → show → eBay
The Aporia
