While we’re all munching on leftovers, it’s still time to pass out a few turkeys, our annual foray into recognizing those who didn’t quite get it right, didn’t do the right thing or just plain didn’t care about anyone else! Turkeys all!
— During Roger Goodell’s tenure as Commissioner of the National Football League the NFL has fined a player 72 times for a uniform or equipment violation (including personal messages) Yet, they can’t make their players honor our flag, our National Anthem? Gobble, Gobble, Gobble.
— The captains of the 1-10 Kansas football team refused to shake hands with the captain of the Oklahoma Sooners, Baker Mayfield, last Saturday in Lawrence before their expected loss to the Oklahoma team. Now, perhaps what Mayfield did throughout the game, was not good, not proper,but the KU captains started it. Mayfield merely responded. It was pretty classless of the Jayhawk players to not shake hands before the game. Give them a Turkey wing!
— Speaking of the Sooners, they come in at the fifth spot for having the most college football players arrested in the last five years. Oklahoma has had 21 players toe the lineup over the past few years. Still, they aren’t the worst. Washington State leads the country with 31 arrests. The Big 12 is doing their darndest to lead the country though. Iowa State has 20 arrests along with West Virginia. Oklahoma State has 14 and Kansas 13. Pass out a turkey to all of them!
— The coaches’ box in college basketball has been extended this year from 28 to 38 feet. No matter how big you make the barnyard you’re going to have trouble keeping these turkeys fenced in! Have you ever seen a college basketball coach that STAYED in the coaching box? Heck, most of them get clear out on the floor during the game to holler at players and refs. I doubt this rule will keep them fenced in any better!
— David Beaty, head football coach at Kansas, is one of the Power Five’s lowest-paid coaches. Beaty is being paid $1,601,109 this year. Beaty is definitely the lowest paid Big 12 coach. First-year Texas coach, Tom Herman ($5.5 million) is the conference’s highest-paid coach. Before you shed too many tears for Beaty however, consider how much he is paid for each victory he brings Kansas each year. Beaty has 3 wins in three years so, he is earning $1,601,109 for each victory! Apply that formula to say, Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma and he would be bringing home a fortune instead of the $2.12 million he is receiving. Pass the cranberries please!
— The Patriots and the Raiders can’t cause enough controversy in the United States so they play an NFL football game in Mexico City. Did anyone know the difference between a bullfight and a field goal? Maybe not, BUT they DID know the difference between Marshawn Lynch sitting for the United State’s National Anthem and standing for the playing of the Mexican national music. Protesting? No, that’s just dumb! Not even a turkey gizzard for Lynch!
— The final turkey of the day is reserved for former NBA player, Dennis Rodman, who now doubles as an ambassador to North Korea who was quoted as saying, “Chemistry is a class you take in high school or college; where you figure out two plus two is 10, or something like that.” Rodman and Kim Kong Un, two turkeys for Thanksgiving!
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.
