Should we tab it “The Loser’s Bowl?” This World Series between the “Mistake by the Lake” (Cleveland) and the “Loveable Losers” (Chicago Cubs)? Do we root for the Cubs to end the “Billy Goat Curse” or the Indians to do something they haven’t done since 1948? No matter who wins, who loses, all of us are the winners. You couldn’t ask for a more interesting World Series! Will the karma created by the Cleveland Cavaliers winning the NBA title earlier this year carry over to the Indians? Probably most of America will be rooting for the Cubbies. My only regret is that Harry Caray is no longer around to belt out his rendition of “Take Me Out To The Ball Game!”
The highly paid coaches of college football are not pleased with all of the player transfers that are happening. Neither are the basketball coaches. I wonder though, what is the difference between the job-hopping of these coaches who think nothing of moving from one school to another, many times after recruiting an athlete to Old Swamee Tech and then, just a week later, taking a job elsewhere? Sports Illustrated magazine recently pointed out the inconsistency of Alabama’s football coach, Nick Saban, who left Toledo, Michigan State, LSU and the Miami Dolphins to get to his current job at Alabama, when he criticized transfers as “quitters.” I guess that would make Saban and most other coaches quitters as well!
“Oh, so close.” An undefeated regular season was just inches away, on the final play of the game, for the Great Bend Black Panthers as a fumble trickled into the end zone and was recovered by Garden City. Coaches always tell us, “football is a game of inches.” Never was that more evident than in the 21-14 overtime loss by Great Bend to Garden City last Friday at Memorial Stadium. Basically all of that just meant that Great Bend would meet a one-win team in the first round of the playoffs (Topeka West) instead of a winless team (Salina Central).
Speaking of highly paid coaches, Virginia basketball coach Tony Bennett could have made $900,000 just in bonus money if his team had won the 2016 NCAA basketball tournament. He got a part of that for winning the conference title, just making the tournament, and each tournament game. Under similar arrangements, Roy Williams at North Carolina had $650,000 promised him. Indiana’s Tom Crean licked his chops at $425,000 while Kansas’ Bill Self was guaranteed $250,000 of bonus money by winning it all.
I don’t think I am a fan of these high-scoring college football games. I mean, scoring plays are fun but, gee, they get old after awhile and you just want to see a nose tackle sack the quarterback! Saturday’s Oklahoma vs. Texas Tech affair set new all-time standards for offense. The Sooners won 66-59. The two teams combined for about a bajillion yards! I expect the Red Raiders to not play defense but I don’t expect that of Oklahoma! Have the offensive gurus so outsmarted the defensive coaches that this is the new norm or will that pendulum swing back the other way?
CHALK TALK:
Hoisington has already clinched the top spot in District 15 as they took on Lyons Thursday evening. The Cardinals will be matched up Tuesday most likely against Lakin. The Ellsworth-Larned winner on Thursday will tangle on Tuesday with Cimarron. Does Oklahoma even have a punter? Now we know, once again, why the Wichita State Shockers have been the Big Boy bullies of Missouri Valley basketball for the past two years. Former guards Fred Van Vleet and Ron Baker both made the final cuts and will be on opening day rosters for the New York Knicks (Baker) and the Toronto Raptors (Van Vleet). Great Bend starts the playoffs with a home game. Black Panthers 39, Topeka West 13. So, “Ten is the right number of teams for a conference that has 12 in its name?” That’s what they keep saying!
Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak!
Buddy Tabler is a guest columnist for the Great Bend Tribune and her views don’t necessarily reflect those of the paper. He can be reached at budtabler@gmail.com