While a lot of the sports world is now focused on the kickoff to the high school, college and professional football seasons, there’s lots of other stuff going on out there to keep your eye on.
There’s a lot of buzz out there about the new rules in college basketball.
Among others, they are easing the regulations on players that want to transfer, as they should. While many would like to return to the days of a player signing with a school and playing there four years, those days are never to return.
Rivals.com tells us that an astonishing 40 percent of all college basketball players transfer by their junior seasons! Today’s young people want it now! They want to play and play right away. Finding the right home is more important than ever!
The state of Kansas has new football classifications for the 2018-2019 season.
Great Bend, with an enrollment base of 680 fits in as one of the smallest of the 5A schools as only five schools have smaller enrollments. The Hays Indians are the smallest at 621. 5A , 6A and 4A will each consist of 32 teams.
Larned is placed in the new 3A class which will consist of 48 schools as will 2A, making a road to a championship the most difficult. 3A enrollment figures range from 329 to 182, with Larned at 205. Hoisington, with an enrollment base of 163 will compete in 2A which has an enrollment range of 116 to 178, making the Cardinals one of the larger schools in the class.
The biggest shift for Ellinwood is a move to 11-man football in 2A.
Eight-man assignments for Central Plains, Otis-Bison, St. John, Macksville and other area schools remain unchanged.
The word dynasty gets tossed around loosely in the sports pages but if you are looking for one that really qualifies, take a peek at Silver Lake and their football coach, C.J. Hamilton.
He is beginning his 43rd year of coaching and has amassed an incredible record of 412 wins and 91 losses. Last year’s league title was the 34th overall! Yes, they are the favorite again this year! Silver Lake has made 35 playoff appearances with 95 victories and eight state championships.
Speaking of dynasties, take a look at the Great Bend High School’s girls swimming program. This spring they won the Western Athletic Conference championship FOR THE 16TH STRAIGHT YEAR! Their amazing streak has been compiled against schools in the WAC with much larger enrollments!
There’s nothing COMMUNITY about sports programs at Kansas community colleges.
A quick run down through rosters will show that athletes are from all over the world, all over the United States, with just a sprinkling from the “communities” served by the schools.
Good-or-bad, it’s a fact that the sports programs seem to have a different mission than that designed for the regular student, perhaps a different mission than that concept of the original founders of the schools.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled, 6-3, striking down the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act.
That means states can legalize sports gambling.
Kansas has been mostly silent on the matter since then but you can bet that the wheels are turning and the lobbyists are lobbying and the bets are being placed! Two bills were proposed this past year in the Kansas Legislature, but neither passed.
In all likelihood, if you think the Wildcats are going to win the Big 12 football championship, you will be able to legally put down your hard-earned money to back up that belief without having to call an illegal bookie!
Ladies and Gentlemen, place your bets!
A recent study has found that women who carry a little extra weight, live longer than the men who mention it!
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.
