[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Pages 5365-5366]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 COMMENDING THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM FOR WINNING 
  THE 2008 NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (NCAA) DIVISION I 
                        BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now 
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 505, which was submitted 
earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 505) commending the University of 
     Kansas men's basketball team for winning the 2008 National 
     Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I basketball 
     championship.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, it is my privilege today to submit S. 
Res. 505, along with Mr. Brownback. It is my hope it will be considered 
hot-lined on both sides and passed later this afternoon.
  This resolution is a commendation resolution on behalf of the 
University of Kansas Men's Basketball Team for winning the 2008 
National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA, Division I, basketball 
championship as of last night.
  This might be a little unique in that I am a graduate of Kansas State 
University, home of the ever-optimistic and fighting Wildcats. 
Sometimes we are rivals. In this particular case, all of Kansas, 
including every K State fan, stands in salute of the Jayhawks. It is 
clearly ``Rock Chalk, Jayhawk'' time in Kansas.
  Mr. President, I will skip to the bottom line of the resolution, 
where it says:

       Whereas, the families of the players, students, alumni, and 
     faculty of the University of Kansas, and all the supporters 
     of the University of Kansas, are to be congratulated for 
     their commitment to, and pride in, the basketball program at 
     the university: Now, therefore be it resolved the Senate 
     commends the University of Kansas men's basketball team for 
     winning the 2008 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship.

  The Secretary of the Senate will transmit enrolled copies of this 
resolution to the University of Kansas so they can display it; the 
chancellor of the university, Bob Hemenway, a great friend; the 
athletic director of the university, Lew Perkins; and the head coach of 
the team, Bill Self, who should remain at the University of Kansas. 
Those remarks were not prepared, but that is my advice.
  For those of you who did not see the game last night--and it started 
at 9 p.m. and I know most Senators are probably asleep at 9 o'clock at 
night--trailing 60 to 51, with 2:12 seconds left in regulation, Kansas 
closed the second half with a 12-3 run, capped off by a Mario Chalmers' 
three-point basket, with 2.1 seconds remaining to force overtime. 
Kansas then outscored Memphis 12 to 5 in overtime to claim its third 
national championship.
  As General Petraeus is here testifying before four committees in 
regard to national security and the war with Iraq, and when this Senate 
is considering a housing bill and stimulus package to help the economy, 
let us hope the example of the University of Kansas men's basketball 
team, in regard to their perseverance and dedication, will enable us to 
achieve our goals as well.
  If you listen hard, from the mountains from which our acting 
Presiding Officer is so familiar, from Montana and further west, on to 
the high plains, to the Midwest, across the Appalachians, and clear to 
the east coast and our Nation's capital--if you listen hard, you can 
hear that chant, ``Rock Chalk, Jayhawk, KU-U-U.'' If we listen hard, 
maybe we can work together, follow their example of perseverance and 
unbelievable heroics to win the NCAA championship. Thus, sayeth this 
champion of Kansas State athletics on behalf of the University of 
Kansas and their basketball team.
  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider 
be laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 505) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 505

       Whereas, on April 7th, 2008, the University of Kansas men's 
     basketball team won its third NCAA Division I Basketball 
     Championship and fifth national title with its 75-68 overtime 
     win over the University of Memphis--on the twentieth 
     anniversary of the historic win by the team led by Danny 
     Manning known as ``Danny and the Miracles'';
       Whereas, with this win the Jayhawks achieved a school 
     record for all-time season wins, posting a 37-3 win-loss 
     record during their run for the title, and finished the 
     season with a thirteen-game winning streak, securing the Big 
     XII Conference Championship title after starting the season 
     with a twenty-game undefeated record, in addition to the 2008 
     NCAA Division I men's basketball crown;
       Whereas, Head Coach Bill Self improved his all-time record 
     at Kansas to 142-32 and 12-4 in the tournament assisted by a 
     miraculous last-minute three-point shot by guard Mario 
     Chalmers;
       Whereas, Kansas guard Mario Chalmers was chosen as the Most 
     Outstanding Player of the Final Four and was named to the 
     all-tournament team along with guards Brandon Rush and 
     Darrell Arthur;
       Whereas, each player, coach, trainer, and manager dedicated 
     his or her time and effort to ensuring that the Kansas 
     Jayhawks reached their goal of capturing a national 
     championship; and
       Whereas, the families of the players, students, alumni, and 
     faculty of the University of Kansas, and all the supporters 
     of the University of Kansas, are to be congratulated for 
     their commitment to, and pride in, the basketball program at 
     the University: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) commends the University of Kansas men's basketball team 
     for winning the 2008 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship;
       (2) recognizes the achievements of all of the players, 
     coaches, and support staff who were instrumental in helping 
     the University of Kansas men's basketball team win its third 
     NCAA Division I Basketball Championship and fifth national 
     championship;
       (3) respectfully requests the Secretary of the Senate to 
     transmit enrolled copies of this resolution to--

[[Page 5366]]

       (A) the University of Kansas for appropriate display;
       (B) the Chancellor of the University of Kansas, Robert 
     Hemenway;
       (C) the Athletic Director of the University of Kansas, Lew 
     Perkins;
       (D) the Head Coach of the University of Kansas men's 
     basketball team, Bill Self.

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