When last we visited with Forrest Gump he told us, “Stupid is as stupid does.” Well folks, stupid’s been doing!
By now most of the sports world knows that Central Michigan defeated Oklahoma State last Saturday on a game-ending miracle play. A play that should not have been allowed. It was allowed by the nine-member officiating crew supplied by the Mid America Conference, the conference that Central Michigan plays in. The NCAA rules state that when a referee declares that a game is ended, the score is final. Nothing can be done. Yeah? Are these the same folks whose forefathers told us the world is flat? Fix it guys!
There’s plenty of stupid to go around in the Star Spangled Banner protest mess started by Colin Kaepernick and joined by others. Let them protest, it’s their right. It is also the right of others to protest those protests, to call them out and criticize them. The National Football League says it will not take a position. however, the NFL did take a position when the Dallas Cowboys wanted to wear a momento on their helmets or uniforms that would honor the five policemen who were killed in the line of duty earlier in the year by a nut with a rifle. The NFL said No, Nada, Nyet! Stupid to most of us. Planned idiocy to others!
The NCAA-gee, don’t they show up a lot in stupid stuff?-has pulled seven championship events from North Carolina for the coming year, meaning Roy Williams and Mike Kryzewski will not be getting a cozy, nearly home game, in the opening round of the NCAA basketball championships that they are used to. The NCAA does not belong in this debate about who, or what, should be allowed to urinate in which bathroom. A lot of the things the NCAA does belongs in a bathroom but this isn’t it! Perhaps this is the time when the power-conference universities move away from the NCAA and form their own association.
Forrest Gump’s mother said, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get.” Well Mrs. Gump, I’m not liking what I’m getting!
The Great Bend Black Panthers have established a well-deserved reputation of being an excellent passing team. In reality though, it was the running game that turned the tide for coach Erin Beck’s team last Friday against Hays. 184 second-half rushing yards turned the tide as the Panthers established who was going to control the line of scrimmage, and thus, the game. Overcoming a 14-13 halftime deficit, Great Bend went on to a dominating 35-14 win.
This week Great Bend hits the road for the first time as they travel to Wichita to take on high-scoring Wichita Northwest Grizzlies who are 1-1 after a 53-33 loss to Wichita Heights last Friday. In their season-opener the Grizzlies posted 61 points in a 61-49 win over Bishop Carroll. The Panthers will need both a strong passing game and a strong running game in this one. It should be an entertaining game against the favored Grizzlies.
Elswhere: The High-Flying Hoisington Cardinals, off of an impressive comeback win over Wichita Collegiate have to guard against a letdown as they travel to Hillsboro. No letdown. Cards 44-13. Central Plains at Otis-Bison. This is playoff-caliber! Both teams will advance deep into the playoffs. The Oilers have an edge in depth, Central Plains 30, Otis-Bison 20. Ellinwood in a squeaker over Victoria, 35-33. Kansas State finally gets back in action after a season-opening loss to Stanford. Cats host FAU (No, that’s not a fraternity) A practice game for coach Snyder. KSU 39, FAU 14. Kansas at Memphis. Can the Jayhawks win a road game, finally? Don’t look for Kansas to get off to such a slow start this week. Still, Memphis is pretty good. A tie? Oh, they don’t have ties in college? Well then, Memphis 30, Kansas 27.
Buddy Tabler is a guest columnist for the Great Bend Tribune and his views don’t necessarily reflect those of the paper. He can be reached at budtabler@gmail.com
