— Didja know that Kansas State leads the Big 12 schools with having at least one player selected in the NFL draft in each of the last 25 years? That streak was extended this year when the San Francisco 49’ers picked D.J. Reed. The streak started in 1994 when the NY Giants picked Thomas Randolph, a cornerback and the San Diego Chargers picked wide receiver Andre Coleman. Coleman, by the way, is now a coach for the Wildcats.

— YES, that is our Royals on a tear! Their four homers in one inning Tuesday tied a Royals record. It is the third time it has happened, the last in 2001. Who would think our Boys in Blue could ever hit four home runs in a game, let alone one inning?

— The Larned Indians will have a new football coach in 2018. Tad Remy, a former assistant, will take over the head coaching duties from A.B. Stokes who is moving to a college coaching position with Bethel College in Newton. Stokes took over as boss of Indian football in 2012. Remy will be the 23rd coach in Larned football history.

— Remember Tim Tebow? The former Heisman Trophy winner who never made it big in the NFL—though all he did was win games when he did play—is now trying to make it big in baseball. He is currently playing with the NY Mets’ AA affiliate, Binghamton Rumble Ponies—I just LOVE those mascot names in minor league baseball—and he got off to a hot start in May, homering in consecutive games. So far he is hitting .244 with three home runs and 12 RBIs in 24 games. The Mets think his time will come for a major league shot.

— Wichita State fans are nervous because of a lot of turnover in Shocker basketball this year, causing some to question “what’s wrong”, has coach Gregg Marshall lost his touch? A quick look at Marshall’s pedigree should quiet those noises. Marshall is a winner everywhere he’s been. Not just a winner but a BIG winner! His overall head coaching record, excluding 2017-18 is 480-180. Marshall seems to be rebuilding his next teams more in his image of tough defense first, scoring second. Look for a more gritty Wichita State team this next season!

— Marijuana use in professional sports is commonplace and NOT just for medicinal purposes. Of course all kinds of drugs, both legal and illegal are commonplace in the upper echelons of sports. One former NBA player stated “All my best games, I was medicated. Not every single game but in 15 years it was a lot.”

— Yes, Spring football games ARE big business at some schools. The University of Nebraska topped them all this year with 86,818 showing up to watch new coach Scott Frost’s effort to return the Huskers to their former glory. Alabama was next with 74,732 and Penn State clicked 71,000 through the turnstiles! Oklahoma led Big 12 schools with 52,102 in attendance and yelling “Boomer Sooner”!

— The Adidas-college basketball scandal has impacted Kansas University in more than just recruits. The university is currently in the midst of a 12-year, $191 million contract extension with Adidas. The legal mess that Adidas has created certainly hampers the negotiations with Kansas and several other “flagship” schools in college basketball.

— The temperature at which alligator eggs develop is supposed to determine their sex. Eggs which are hatched at 93 degrees or more become males, while those at a temperature of 86 degrees or lower become females. Not sure how that’s going to work around our house. The wife is ALWAYS fiddling with the thermostat. We’d be raising a bunch of confused gators!

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.