Slate: Football Talk Ramps Up

Previously

BracketCat continued his inexorable countdown to opening day with a spotlight on No. 89, redshirt junior tight end Blaise Gammon, who is the son of longtime Chiefs long-snapper, Kendall Gammon. He’s also a six-foot seven-inch monster who originally walked on but has now earned scholarship status.

Football

For the third consecutive year and the fourth time overall, 1997-1998 K-State phenom Michael Bishop is on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot. Other nominees of local interest include Nebraska quarterback Eric Crouch, Texas quarterback Vince Young, Colorado receiver Michael Westbrook, Nebraska offensive tackle Zach Wiegert, and California and Kansas City Chief tight end Tony Gonzalez. Blair Kerkoff at the Star noted that Big 12 quarterbacks dominate the ballot.

Preseason prognostications for the upcoming season continue, with Athlon Sports saying the combination of new coordinators and needing to completely revamp the special teams specialists will limit K-State to 41st nationally and 7th in the Big 12.

After landing Lawrence High cornerback Ekow Boye-Doe in last year’s recruiting class, K-State is now after one of his close friends and fellow defensive back, Keenen Garber of Lawrence Free State High School. Starting offensive lineman Scott Frantz is a Free State graduate, of course. Raiding the cupboard in Lawrence is fun.

Finally, the Dallas Morning News polled a panel of contributors and insiders for their opinions on whether the Big 12 would stand pat, cease to exist, or add schools over the next five years. After banking a record $36.5 million per school in 2017-2018, some believe the conference is just fine with the status quo. Another notes that if the Big 12 collapses, some of its members will no longer compete in a Power-Five conference. Hush, you.

Basketball

Last year’s postseason success should equate to renewed interest in Coach Weber’s squad, but the athletic department has elected not to raise season ticket prices. Tickets go on sale Monday, June 11, with several discount packages available to those purchasing four seats.

Hale Library

The roof fire at Hale Library on May 22 has left an enormous restoration project for the university. Morgan Chilson (Capital-Journal) reports that “every square inch” of the library suffered smoke and water damage. K-State also provided updated photos of the damage. WIBW reports that computer systems at the university are “largely back online.” And, although we sometimes think of KU as our evil stepsister, the good people in Lawrence have helped K-State recover lost data after the fire and are now extending borrowing privileges to K-State students.