Heading into halftime with the score tied at zero, a few fans about my age just a few seats down started a chant among their group prodding Bill Snyder to make a change at quarterback. The group was hoping for a glimpse of junior college transfer Justin Tuggle.
A lady a couple of rows ahead of them took exception to this, declaring to the Tuggle Fan Club that this was not the appropriate way to act in this section and they should all be more positive.
Be more positive? Clearly, she had not been watching any of the on-field action.
How could any of us be positive when it took nearly 40 minutes for K-State’s offense to put up any points against Eastern Kentucky? Sure the defense looked much improved, but then again, they were going up against a true freshman quarterback making his first start.
It’s logical to think a change at quarterback for the Wildcats in the first game of the season was over the top. It’s also logical to think that there is a better option out there.
From the looks of it, K-State is right back in the position they were last year in concerns to the quarterback spot.
Who knew a Week 2 bye week would end up being such a good thing? Whether fans are jumping ship too soon remains to been seen, but a good performance against Kent State is a must in order for this team to gain some confidence and momentum before they head to Miami and then into a nine game conference slate.
In other news, the Big 12 is back on the brink of extinction. Texas A&M is leaving and the SEC now appears to be in position to accept them as their 13th member. While this alone is bad enough, the continued silence from the conference office about their supposed “aggressive” search to find new members is once again concerning.
I said earlier that it will only take one more school to express an interest in leaving to bring the conference down for good. That piece now appears to be Oklahoma.
At this point, the regionalizations of conferences are not of concern. K-State and KU no longer need to be joined together either according to some. Traditions and long-time rivalries are no longer important. It’s every man for him self.
So forget what I said about K-State tying itself to the Jayhawks. John Currie needs to work some deals and start finding a new home for the Wildcats, especially if the Big 12 won’t be proactive in finding replacements to help keep the league together.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Friday, September 2, 2011
Friday Musings - Week 1
The fall sports season kicks off for me in earnest tonight with the return of high school football to the state. The crazy hours, the pandemonium spreading throughout the sports office and ingesting more statistical information in one night than anyone should ever be subject to; it’s all back.
Frankly, that’s just fine with me. Quite simply, it means football is back.
Last year K-State entered the season with more questions than answers. Mainly, who’s going to play quarterback? This year things appear to be a little less cloudy, but doesn’t one assume that someone else will make a run at the starting spot and possibly push Collin Klein to the wayside before season’s end?
The Brown Brothers’ return to their home state caused quite a stir on many levels. This year, Wildcat fans will finally get to see the brothers put on the purple and try and live up to the lofty expectations put before them.
Many pundits expect Bryce Brown to have an all-league worthy season. While the potential is there, I’m not sure if his mind is in the right place yet. For K-State to be successful this year, Bryce needs to have a solid season. Klein’s ability to pass the ball is still in question, so another dominant force in the backfield to compliment Klein is a must.
The addition of Arthur Brown to the defense couldn’t have come at a better time. Wait…actually, K-State really could have used him last year. The Wildcat defense can’t get any worse than it was a year ago. The unit had no presence along the line or at the linebacker spot, constantly putting the pressure on the safety’s to pick up the slack. Arthur brings his much-needed skill to the linebacker spot and will, in my opinion, have a bigger impact than his brother this year.
Perhaps the thing that stands out most is the number of Kansas athlete’s on the roster since Bill Snyder’s return. Several local kids were either scared off by Ron Prince’s tactics or just ignored by the coaching staff which did nothing to help the school’s in-state recruiting ties. Snyder has since mended those fences, finding a way to keep Kansas kids in their home state.
A lot of K-State’s success was built on the junior college players Snyder lured into the program. Equally as important though were the in-state athletes who molded the program into a perennial power for more than a decade.
Maybe it’s just the preseason kool-aid talking, but who’s to say Snyder can’t do it again.
Frankly, that’s just fine with me. Quite simply, it means football is back.
Last year K-State entered the season with more questions than answers. Mainly, who’s going to play quarterback? This year things appear to be a little less cloudy, but doesn’t one assume that someone else will make a run at the starting spot and possibly push Collin Klein to the wayside before season’s end?
The Brown Brothers’ return to their home state caused quite a stir on many levels. This year, Wildcat fans will finally get to see the brothers put on the purple and try and live up to the lofty expectations put before them.
Many pundits expect Bryce Brown to have an all-league worthy season. While the potential is there, I’m not sure if his mind is in the right place yet. For K-State to be successful this year, Bryce needs to have a solid season. Klein’s ability to pass the ball is still in question, so another dominant force in the backfield to compliment Klein is a must.
The addition of Arthur Brown to the defense couldn’t have come at a better time. Wait…actually, K-State really could have used him last year. The Wildcat defense can’t get any worse than it was a year ago. The unit had no presence along the line or at the linebacker spot, constantly putting the pressure on the safety’s to pick up the slack. Arthur brings his much-needed skill to the linebacker spot and will, in my opinion, have a bigger impact than his brother this year.
Perhaps the thing that stands out most is the number of Kansas athlete’s on the roster since Bill Snyder’s return. Several local kids were either scared off by Ron Prince’s tactics or just ignored by the coaching staff which did nothing to help the school’s in-state recruiting ties. Snyder has since mended those fences, finding a way to keep Kansas kids in their home state.
A lot of K-State’s success was built on the junior college players Snyder lured into the program. Equally as important though were the in-state athletes who molded the program into a perennial power for more than a decade.
Maybe it’s just the preseason kool-aid talking, but who’s to say Snyder can’t do it again.
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