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I sometimes just can't understand what makes sports fans and rivalries tick. How is it possible for a person to make repeated belittling comments about a rival school, then accuse fans of that school of being rude, insensitive, or obsessed with their own school? It's easy to see how we can ignore the oafs in our own midst while blasting the rival's nitwits, but how can we claim with a straight face that our fans just don't behave that way?
It's a brutal truth that nobody really wants to accept about their own fanbase, but truth it is nonetheless: no matter your loyalties, you have really bad fans. You also have really good ones.
Yes, even you, KU.
Sorry, was I obsessing?
But you know, the more I think about it, the more comfortable I am just owning it. Yes, we took a shot at our rivals. Yes, it looked like a sausage. A sausage that blew that Jayhawk into vapor, I might add. No, an apology was not necessary -- and arguably counterproductive.
The truth of the matter is this: the media loved it. The only criticism K-State is receiving from anyone relevant is because of the school's (and our) efforts to try and defuse the situation. And by wasting time worrying about what people might think, we've completely forgotten that the incident occurred during halftime of the opening football game of K-State's 2015 season.
That, my friends, is an intolerable oversight on our part. People can be outraged or amused all they want, but the performance in the field Saturday night has been all but forgotten. Time to get back on track.
We didn't think the band formation was a big deal at first, because we sometimes forgets what makes the internet tick. Besides, KSUEMAW! and PurpleBrunette were busy dealing with actual football, the latter reporting on the first-drive injury to Jesse Ertz and the former telling is the three things we learned from K-State's 34-0 shutout victory.
But since then, it's been all space weenies. Derek was quick to direct people's attention to the actual chart and statement from Dr. Frank Tracz when it arrived. TB later took a shot at the silly sportsmanship policy by carrying it to its logical conclusion, JT offered us insider insights on what really went into the band's performance Saturday night, and then Derek apprised us of the thoughts of the Captain of the Enterprise himself on the issue.
Recaps of the game:
- enemy views: from Mick Garry of the Sioux-Falls Argus Leader and the official recap from South Dakota's SID Brian Boettcher
- K-State's official recap at the department site
- The Star's Kellis Robinett
- Ken Corbitt at the Capital-Journal
Further analysis:
- Three thoughts from Robinett, plus his brief notebook
- Corbitt ruminates on the contributions from the newcomers.
- Kelly McHugh-Stewart, in K-State Sports Extra, spotlights Winston Dimel and his thunderous arrival
- ESPN's Max Olson on what it all meant.
The Star's Blair Kerkhoff offers up his week one Big 12 and SEC power rankings, with K-State in his fourth-place spot.
The Ring of Honor inductions generated some content, as Robinett reports on how the honor is helping Jordy Nelson stay upbeat after his injury and an AP story at FOX details Jordy's favorite memories.