Messages

1

Kansas State Basketball is hard / Re: K-SUCF

« on: February 27, 2025, 10:32:10 PM »

This was the first basketcats game I'd seen in person since Beasley and the gang at the Wide World of Sports.  I took my UCF-loving wife and our very conflicted daughter.

Takeaways:
There was a lot more purple in the crowd than I expected on a Wednesday night.
Everyone looks a lot taller when you're watching from floor level.
I should find out where the band is seated before I buy tickets.
Putting a mascot in heelys is a great idea.

kono

2

Kansas State Football / Re: 12 Team Playoff

« on: December 11, 2024, 11:00:22 AM »

I feel like people were trying to fool us into believing that there would be less bitching about the post-season in general if playoffs were implemented. Because there seems to be no less bitching going on right now.

Well, that would be a naïve thing to believe.  What you call bitching, the suits call engagement.  There will always be bitching; that's a feature, not a bug.

The improvement here is that the, uh, engagement is a bit further removed from things that actually matter, namely, that the teams that should have a shot at the title are included.  Like March Madness, the decisions about which bubble teams are in or out have little impact on the eventual champion.  Sure, some objectively undeserving teams are also included in the name of equity, but so what?  The best teams are all present.

kono

3

Kansas State Football / Re: Watching AJ beat the CRAP out of Houston

« on: November 04, 2024, 11:29:11 AM »

He didn't say worst team, he said worst loss and given opponent, stakes, and what was happening in the game, I agree. It was an all-time pants shitting when there was so much to gain by just holding on to a 2 score lead, with the ball in our hands, in the fourth quarter, against a bad team.

We finish that game off and we're somewhere between 9 and 13 in the first CFP ranking tomorrow night, with an outside chance of making the CFP without winning the conference. Now we need help with even making the championship game. If we win out and have to watch Colorado and BYU in the the CCG, this game becomes the third worst loss in program history.

This post forced me to remember the game that I assume is your #2, so thanks for that.

Where would the BYU loss fall in that scenario?

kono

4

Kansas State Football / Re: Sunflower 2024

« on: October 28, 2024, 05:53:11 PM »

Has there ever been a team that has lost more close games in such soul-crushing fashion?  Poor lil bro.

The clown show to the north, perhaps?

At the conclusion of the 2023 season, Nebraska had lost 19 games by single digits over the course of the previous 3 seasons, a Division I NCAA Record.

The 2021 Nebraska Cornhuskers were the first team in Division I history to lose nine games by single digits.

Something to aspire to, I guess.


kono

5

Kansas State Football / Re: The KU Rayhawks are NOT going through a rough patch. They make Raytown, Missouri proud!

« on: October 19, 2024, 09:49:38 AM »

I don't recall this being mentioned, so enjoy: https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/41686314/college-football-bottom-10-alabama-kansas

It's the opening scene of "The Lion King." You know the one. When all the animals march toward Pride Rock, hooves, paws and wings assembling to the music of Elton John. Yes, the Circle of Life. And for the next two hours, clumsy little Simba can't get out of his own way, is banished, wanders the wilderness doing who knows what, his family believing he is gone forever, and then he returns.

It's the classic tale of the prodigal son returning. Like Tony Stark. Or Michael McDonald rejoining the Doobie Brothers. Or a Bottom 10 team that starts winning games and leaves our herd for greener bowl game pastures. Such as ... wait ... what's that the prophet simian is holding up from the tip of Pride Rock? Is it? Yes! It is!

A Kansas Nayhawk!

kono

6

Kansas State Football / Re: Smoke your cigars and enjoy the band while you can....

« on: September 27, 2024, 12:33:38 PM »

PAC and MWC stuck at 7 schools apiece 

I really thought UNLV would make the move, but here we are.  It's interesting that their AD made a statement about their goal being membership in a P4 conference, yet they're taking themselves off the board until 2032 in exchange for a double-share of the exit fees being paid by Boise and friends.  I guess they find the extra cash more useful than any boost in profile that might come with the Pac-12 name.

ESPN claims Texas State is a candidate for the MWC, but they'll still need another within a few years, because Hawaii doesn't count for the minimum of eight.

The Pac-7, with one year of waiver left, are going to have to reach down to New Mexico State or UTEP, unless they are willing to spread further east for a UTSA or UNT.  Just not a lot of options after this move by the MWC.


kono

7

Kansas State Football / Re: Skylar Thompson… American hero and soon to be NFL Quarterback

« on: August 26, 2024, 08:33:06 AM »

That means Skylar is now the #2 behind Tua. I bet we get to see him play again this year.

Hopefully, only in blowouts. 

kono

8

Kansas State Football / Re: HUSKGUY

« on: August 13, 2024, 05:46:41 PM »

rough ridin' clown deserves what's coming.

kono

9

Kansas State Football / Re: Football Recruiting Thread

« on: June 16, 2024, 10:47:12 AM »

 hell yeah

he has a very 1980’s movie bad guy vibe to him, i’m thinking rutger hauer in blade runner

I'm thinking a bit more Targaryen.

kono

10

Kansas State Football / Re: ITT We Laugh At Other Pud Teams' Pud Stadiums/Arenas

« on: April 15, 2024, 05:37:50 PM »

BTW northwestern has decided to go with this idea for football starting this season. I haven't found renderings yet. The way it's described is that the soccer field is going away and they will be sharing the football field with soccer and lacrosse. I'll try to find a rendering

Maybe they're centering a single field in the space currently occupied by football+soccer, and going all in on endzone funzones?

kono

11

Kansas State Football / Re: Smoke your cigars and enjoy the band while you can....

« on: April 04, 2024, 12:35:59 PM »

I'm not fond of the idea that 70 teams would have permanent immunity from relegation, but I understand that anything less would be instantly rejected by the current establishment.

kono

12

Kansas State Football / Re: Favorite flavor Pop Tart?

« on: December 04, 2023, 09:18:28 AM »

I also have tried the Eggo variety, and it's rather bland.  I can smell the maple syrup flavoring as it toasts, but it's just meh to eat.  The Apple Jacks collab was equally disappointing, but at least I finished that box.

We have Frosted Cookies & Cr?me and Frosted Chocolate Chip in the house, but I'm a basic Brown Sugar Cinnamon and Frosted Strawberry cat.  I'll have to work some Frosted Cherry into the rotation.

kono

13

Kansas State Football / Re: 2023 other games thread

« on: November 26, 2023, 11:05:31 AM »

You can't play worse defense than that

The eff you can't.

kono

14

Kansas State Football / Re: Nebraska's struggle for relevance.

« on: November 21, 2023, 07:42:04 AM »

Next five conference slates:

2024
Home: Illinois, Rutgers, UCLA, Wisconsin
Away: Indiana, Iowa, Ohio State, Purdue, USC

2025
Home: Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, USC
Away: Maryland, Minnesota, Penn State, UCLA

2026
Home: Indiana, Maryland, Ohio State, Washington
Away: Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Oregon, Rutgers

2027
Home: Iowa, Minnesota, Oregon, Purdue, Rutgers
Away: Northwestern, Ohio State, Washington, Wisconsin

2028
Home: Northwestern, Penn State, UCLA, Wisconsin
Away: Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Purdue, USC


Seems like a fairly balanced mix, with three or four premier teams a year, but all of these look more challenging than what they've been struggling against.


kono

15

Kansas State Football / Re: Nebraska's struggle for relevance.

« on: November 20, 2023, 06:21:43 PM »

Also, the divisions go away next year. They are probably going to have to start playing 2 or 3 teams that finish above .500 most years. They are so mumped.

I haven't analyzed the big 10's future schedules, but I assume it's a lot like ours. 

I see Iowa is their protected matchup... but they will have to deal with each of UM, OSU, PSU, USC, and Oregon roughly two out of four or five years?  (Not to mention MSU, Wisconsin, Washington, and UCLA?)  Good luck with all that.

kono

16

Kansas State Football / Re: K-State vs. Nebraska 1998

« on: November 14, 2023, 10:25:34 AM »

What a great game! I was 10 but I remember it vividly. 

It's wild, I was there (sober, even), but I don't remember much of it at all.

kono

17

Kansas State Football / Re: Smoke your cigars and enjoy the band while you can....

« on: November 02, 2023, 05:16:45 PM »

Is it possible they have used a semi protected format for "secondary" rivalries?  Meaning we play ISU 3/4 years in these four year cycles.

Maybe, but the three out four games seem largely random a.f.

It's not random, it's primarily geographical.  That's why you see the clustering in that chart - going from upper-left to lower-right, the teams are arranged by region:  West, Plains, East, Texas.

But to make everything work, most teams are going to have one or two odd pairings.  Cincinnati might not be one of our closest neighbors, for example, but we're one of theirs.

There are certainly a couple of head-scratchers I can't defend, like how BYU/Colorado and UCF/Houston aren't 3/4 matchups, but BYU/UCF and Colorado/Houston are.

kono

18

Kansas State Football / Re: Smoke your cigars and enjoy the band while you can....

« on: November 01, 2023, 03:35:07 PM »

Our not-a-pod of KU+CU/OSU/ISU/UC feels like it might be easier than most over the long haul.  Depends on how things go in Colorado, I guess.

I am only disappointed that I won’t get to see a game in Florida until 2027, and only once per four years.

kono

19

Kansas State Football / Re: Smoke your cigars and enjoy the band while you can....

« on: November 01, 2023, 03:00:54 PM »

We still get it 75% of the time, it'll be fine.

kono

20

Kansas State Football / Re: Smoke your cigars and enjoy the band while you can....

« on: November 01, 2023, 02:54:03 PM »

This new matrix is a thing of beauty, thank god we avoided pods.

In fact, there are very few protected rivalries:

KSU/KU
ASU/AU
BYU/UU
TCU/BU

No rivalries: CU, TTU, UH, OSU, ISU, CIN, WVU, UCF

Teams without rivalries have six opponents that they'll face three out of four years.  Teams with rivalries have four such opponents.  Everyone else plays twice out of four years.

kono

21

Kansas State Football / Re: ITT We Laugh At Other Pud Teams' Pud Stadiums/Arenas

« on: September 21, 2023, 08:03:29 AM »

Anybody ever go to a game in this hellhole? I’ve never been but the place sounds hilarious.

I've been there twice, once for a Rays game, the other for the 2009 St. Petersburg Bowl (presented by Beef 'O' Brady's^®) between UCF and Rutgers.  It was the very worst.

kono

22

Kansas State Football / Re: Fire Chris Klieman

« on: September 18, 2023, 06:07:28 PM »

QB2 looked adequate to me.

kono

23

Kansas State Football / Re: Iowa HC’s Idiot Kid Thread

« on: September 15, 2023, 09:45:41 PM »

My perception is that Succession is responsible for the revival of that word.  It might as well have been the title.

kono

24

Kansas State Football / Re: Wild Wildcats in the NFL

« on: August 14, 2023, 03:31:55 PM »

Exactly, it feels like it would be reckless for the Fins to go into the season with just two, and I don't think they can safely stash either of these dudes on the scout team.

kono

25

Kansas State Football / Re: Wild Wildcats in the NFL

« on: August 14, 2023, 07:41:43 AM »

Is Skylar still playing?

Yes, as mentioned, he got the second half of the first preseason game, but he didn't do much for his cause.  Still, he'll likely get the start in the next game:

Q. What do you assess from this backup quarterback battle…?
MIKE McDANIEL: What's important to keep in mind is there's a lot of things that go in – you don't just look at it like okay, Mike (White) did better than Skylar (Thompson). It's much more complicated than that in terms of the opportunities both had. Skylar needs an opportunity to play with the same guys that Mike played with, which he'll probably get next week. I think it's about how people learn, react, and especially with quarterbacks, you have to be very coachable. There's going to be a point where Tua is going to be taking all the reps and you'd better be learning from the things that you did in the preseason and the things that Tua is learning from. Quite critical in the whole evaluation process is how guys move forward from here.

Q. Have you seen enough – I guess enough is not the right word, but you have full confidence that the group (of quarterbacks) you have is the group you're going to go forward with in the regular season?
MIKE McDANIEL: I mean, I think the competition has been awesome in camp. It's been back and forth. Very happy with the room overall. I think a lot of people would be cutting out the league if you overreacted to one game situation. Again, I'll find out watching the tape tomorrow how much other players knew what they were doing when Skylar (Thompson) was in, when Mike (White) was in. That takes a toll as well as the quarterback when you're trying to do your job and having to tell other people what to do. I've been very happy with the group overall. They've done some productive things at the NFL level on numerous occasions. Preseason (Week) 1 is not going to get me to overreact to anything. Happy with the group.

kono