Daily Archives: Oct. 4, 2007

THE FLIP SIDE… Kansas

Oct. 4, 200711:00 p.m.

Back again with another installment. Last week’s guest, Joseph Duarte, was a little off in his prediction, but really, did anyone see that demolition coming?

We have high hopes for this week’s beat writer, Ryan Wood of the Lawrence Journal-World. You can find his blog here. Love the title, by the way. So much more clever than "K-Stated," but such is life. Guess we’re not creative enough.

Alas, this is what he suspects might happen:


First of all, those of us in Lawrence need to extend a thank-you to
Kansas State. Finally, after four somewhat-boring blowouts, we’ll get
to see a football game worth the price of admission.

I have bounced back and forth on how Saturday’s game is going to play out. I’m not confident in picking either team to win. That’s a sign,
to me, that we’re in for a real treat Saturday in Manhattan.

Here are some bold predictions for Saturday’s game:

1. There will be a special teams score.

2. KU’s Kerry Meier will line up as a wide receiver and complete a pass.

3. Jordy Nelson will have another great game, especially if Kansas is
hard-headed enough to not make adjustments to put Aqib Talib on him
for a large chunk of the game.

Beyond that, I’m just buckling in to enjoy the ride. Early
indications are certainly good, but the Jayhawks has to prove their
worth playing a big-time opponent. They might do it without a
problem. They might not.

Mysteries such as that make this game a tough one to forecast. My
thought is this: Both teams have their share of talent, but the
Jayhawks historically have had an awful time winning road games.
Until that is cured, it’s hard to pick against the Wildcats in this

one.

Prediction: Kansas State 28, Kansas 23. But I could be wrong :)

By J-Mart | Filed under FLIP SIDE | Comments (4)

CATCHING UP, FILLING IN…

Oct. 4, 20071:10 p.m.

Thanks to the zany kids at ksufans.com, found this image at IGN.com from the upcoming video game release “College Hoops 2K8.” Bill Walker looks good, no? Needless to say, the folks in Lawrence won’t be impressed:

Catching up after a few days away, not a whole lot of new stuff. Tried to get Bill Snyder for the “Five,” but he isn’t returning my calls or messages, which is sort of odd. Instead, I have something set up with Northwest star Chris Harper, which should be entertaining. I think he has a busy weekend set up, but I’ll allow him to explain that to you all. As for this week’s “Flip Side,” it’s with Ryan Wood from the Lawrence Journal-World. He’s a good dude who graciously accepted my invitation, and no, he’s not sipping the KU Kool-Aid in this one.

Curious about how the UT victory may have affected Arthur Brown’s outlook on K-State? Not much has changed, according to Brian Butler.

“It was a huge win,” Butler said. “It’s just like I’ve told the coaches — the decision won’t be based on a win-loss record, but can winning hurt you? No. The more wins, the better you look. … The more positive that is out there about a school, the more people are talking about K-State, all it can do is help.”

As of Tuesday, Brown wasn’t planning on attending the Sunflower Showdown. But his younger brother, Bryce, was, along with another Butler protege, Northwest’s T.J. Shine. Brown is headed to North Carolina next weekend for the Tar Heels’ game against South Carolina.

But make no mistake, the K-State victory impressed the Browns. Heck, even the narrow defeat at Auburn was eye-opening.

“Arthur was like, ‘Man. …,’” Butler said. “The thing is, we all root for K-State. Bryce was going crazy when they were playing Auburn. … They’re not nonchalant about it. They’re fans. But people have to understand — this decision isn’t just about football. It’s a little bigger than that.”

By J-Mart | Filed under Football | Comments (2)