VICTOR E. TIGER

Here’s a chance to meet the FHSU football team on Sunday, and, I suppose, hit the food court. Do they have a Sbarros at the Hays mall? Or an Orange Julius? Isn’t that how you gauge a mall’s awesomeness?

And more importantly, will Garrett Nikkel be there?

Here’s the info:

Meet The Tigers

Sunday, August 16

1:00 to 5:00 p.m.

The Mall in Hays

The public will have the opportunity to meet players and coaches from the

2009 Fort Hays State University Football Team on Sunday, August 16, at The Mall in Hays. The players and coaches will be located at the Nex-Tech Wireless kiosk from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., signing autographs and handing out the 2009 Fort Hays State Football Schedule Poster. The event is sponsored by Nex-Tech Wireless.

Members of the offensive unit will be present from 1:00 to 3:00 and members of the defensive unit will be present from 3:00 to 5:00. Victor E. Tiger will make an appearance at the event from 2:00 to 4:00. A radio remote will be running from 1:00 to 3:00 to cover the event.

Last dip into irreverence before I’m slapped full-on in the face by football season …

So I’m strolling through the aisles at Hollywood Video about a week ago and I’ve got three movies picked out — which does me absolutely no good because the deal at HV is that you get 2 for $2 — which means it will do me absolutely no good to rent three movies. Sure I’ll get the first two at a buck apiece, but then they’ll stick me for three bucks on the third one. It’s asinine to not rent in pairs. So I’m like … comedy? No, I want an action movie. And as soon as I walk into the Action Section there’s Keanu and Patrick just, like, staring at me, saying “RENT ME, BRO!” and of course I do, because the movie is directed by Kathryn Bigelow, who just made The Hurt Locker, which I think is gonna get a best picture Oscar nomination. But I digress.

About halfway through the first screening of Point Break (yes, I watched it more than once) I realized I was watching one of the greatest sports movies of all time, and that I’d seen it so many times (another movie my Uncle Kevin took me to as a youngster) and never realized what I was watching. You may have watched it many, many times before like I have and not realized this — and you’re welcome for me bringing it to your attention — because it operates on so many different, kick-ass levels. And here’s something to consider — Matthew Broderick turned down the Keanu role and Johnny Depp auditioned for it but got turned down. Could’ve been a completely different movie. Worse if Broderick had taken the part and as far as Depp … I’m sure it would have been just as good.

PUNK. QUARTERBACK PUNK.

First, there’s the surfing. This, at its base, makes PB a sports movie because surfing is one of the movie’s central themes. There’s five or six great scenes of them on the waves. Then there’s Keanu’s character — Johnny Utah — a former Rose Bowl-winning quarterback at Ohio State who got hurt in his final game, a win over USC, and had to settle for a career as a hotshot FBI agent (“My knee got bent back 90 degrees the wrong way. Two years of surgery. Missed my window.”) That football scene on the beach where Keanu has to throw the ball — he trained with the UCLA quarterback coaches — is pure testosterone. When Johnny Utah tracks down Bodhi (Swayze) and tackles him into the water … man! (Don’t you know who this is, Roach? This is Johnny Utah, quarterback for Ohio State)

THE BODHISATTVA

And then there’s Bodhi. Swayze at his best. He’s an extreme-sports icon before they were really labeled extreme sports. He surfs. He skydives. He plays football on the beach. Then he enlightens. Pure joy to watch, no doubt.

And hey, you don’t have to believe me, go rent the movie for yourself. You’ll see. Go to HV and rent 2 it’ll only cost you a buck.

How does it rank in my best sports movies of all-time? Here you go: 1. North Dallas Forty 2. Point Break 3. Bull Durham 4. He Got Game 5. Caddyshack.

OUT. TA.

DORRIAN ROBERTS (SALAZAR/EAGLE)

Thought we could play a little Six Degrees of Sunflower Slate with Sunday’s Eagle.

Want to see what I’m talking about? Keep reading.

First, there’s our 1A cover story by Roy Wenzl on Chase Kear of Colwich. Kear, if you remember, was a pole vaulter at Hutchinson Community College who was critically injured during practice last October, splitting his skull from ear to ear. Doctors told his parents he would most likely not survive. He did. The Kears are crediting thousands of prayers to Father Emil Kapaun. The Vatican is investigating this as a miracle. This is a big deal.

Next up, we’ve got the Kansas-Nebraska Border Battle that was played Saturday at Hartman Arena where we won both the boys and girls games. Lemme repeat: We won both games. Lemme restate: They got nothing on us. The two leading scorers for the boys team were a couple of Wichita kids headed to Hutchinson CC — Dorrian Roberts (14 points) is playing football and Joe Mitchell (12 points) is playing basketball.

Batting third we’ve got a great Ask Sports question from Eagle online sports producer Josh Wood about the slow deterioration of the NAIA and what the future of that league might be.

Last but not least we’ve got a Run N Gun from yours truly — purely fiction, people — about the debacle that the AIG KSU Wildcats are in.

Kevin Bacon’s got nothing on us. Just like Nebraska.

Out. Ta.

PS.

Dessert or Disaster?

But fear not, good people, change is a good thing. Sunflower Slate definitely has summer plans. We’ve got a big story coming out Sunday about Newman and the MIAA … don’t mean to be too vague, but it’s going to be a doozy. And, this is a spoiler-free zone. So make sure you plop down your two bones, walk out your front door, log onto the Web, pigeon carrier … however you get The Eagle and check it out.

So sit back, relax, and let’s get ready for fall sports. This summer is going to go by in the blink of an eye. I promise.

And don’t forget, in 75 days — that’s August 27 — we’ve got football to be played.

Out. TA.

SHAZAM! You’re welcome.

-TA

MIAA

Biggest surprise, by far, was Fort Hays State pulling off the upset over No. 18 Washburn in Hays. You had to think the Tigers would be up, and feeling underestimated after basically giving away the game with turnovers and penalties in a loss to Colorado Mines last week. Jacob Irvin ran wild for Fort Hays with 157 yards rushing.

And it begs the question, were the Ichabods too cocky coming off a win over FCS opponent Missouri State ? Fort Hays came to play, and walked away with the win.

No. 7 PIttsburg State pulled another rabbit out of the hat, compliments of quarterback Mark Smith, with a 21-14 win over Missouri Southern in Pittsburg. Kinda got chills thinking about Smith getting the ball back with two minutes to play and the score tied 14-14 in front of an overflow crowd at Carney Smith Stadium.
Wowza. And then the kid drives 60 yards to paydirt, hitting Marques Nelson for a two-yard touchdown run.
Chills, people.

Otherwise, No. 5 Nebraska-Omaha made a nice MIAA debut by taking down Emporia State 41-20 in Omaha.

KCAC

Finally. The KCAC begins. I felt like I was waiting for another Batman movie to come out after awhile.

Were they ever going to play?

They did, and No. 11 Friends looked sharp in a 33-7 victory at Sterling’s souped-up new digs. Biggest shocker out of this game was Falcons’ quarterback Alex Melugin going 19-for-28 passing for
258 yards and four touchdowns.

Who dey? Who dat? Friends don’t throw! Weird to even see those kind of numbers. Nobody, of course, ever accused Monty Lewis of not thinking outside of the box. And their defense looked good, too. Watch out if they’ve got a passing game because you know they’ve got the hogs up front.

2006 KCAC offensive player of the year Beau Cox made a nice return to action with 104 yards rushing and 49 yards receiving in No. 17 Bethel’s 17-6 win over Kansas Wesleyan at North Newton. Good for him after missing last season with injuries. I think KWU is going to be tough this year and beat some people.
Mcpherson looks like it has solved its QB conundrum in the form of juco transfer Shane Mascarenas — Mascarenas threw for 321 yards and three touchdowns in the Bulldogs 37-21 win over Bethany, an , as promised, McPherson coach Brian Ward got the ball in the hands of all-KCAC return specialist Gary Cox, who had seven catches for 94 yards and still busted out 54 kick return yards. Dude is lightning in a bottle. Can’t wait to see him play.

Jayhawk

Ho-hum here, for everybody. No. 6 Butler spanked Dodge City, 48-0. No. 14 Garden City beat Air Force Prep 30-7. No. 12 Fort Scott shut out Coffeyville, 15-0. I hate to be negative, but does that mean, with Garden and Butler already having squared off, that all we have to look forward to is Fort Scott-Garden City and Fort Scott-Butler. I hope not, and I’m waiting for somebody to separate themselves as the fourth team.

Lots of fun stuff. See you soon.

-TA

To break it down, here’s what this pertains to — anything and everything to do with the KCAC, MIAA, Heart of America, and Jayhawk Conference.

Please consider this a fluid concept, too. And it’s not just for football and basketball, either, although that will definitely play a big part in it.

I’ve got a pretty good grasp of what’s going on in the state right now in this arena — but there’s always somebody or some team somewhere that’s doing something great and flying under the radar, and that’s what I’m looking for.

Here’s my e-mail: tadame@wichitaeagle.com, and here’s my office phone:316-268-6284. Feel free to call anytime.

Let’s do this!

-Tony Adame