SLATE: So, what now?

So, how was your Thursday?

March 12, 2020, may go down as one of the most disconcerting days in American history. The news just kept coming, starting with Kansas City mayor Quentin Davis declaring a municipal state of emergency. The NCAA basically cancelled all championship events for the rest of the academic year. KSHSAA finally got around to cancelling State. And then a Kansan who had not travelled to a risk zone tested positive for COVID-19, a 70-year old Wyandotte County resident died of the virus, and Governor Laura Kelly declared a state of emergency for the whole state of Kansas.

The real-world situation is frightening, and we implore you to take care of yourselves and remember that while you may feel fine that doesn’t mean you haven’t been exposed. The most dangerous mindset or narrative right now is the “I’m fine, everyone I know is fine, what’s the big deal?” thing. It may be no big deal for you, in the end. If you’re young, even if you catch this bug you’ll probably weather it; grandma might not be so lucky. The hard truth is that when you take the proper actions to prevent a crisis, it seems like there was no crisis to begin with.

As for sports, well... this may be the last time we get to talk about them as real news for a few weeks.

What we know, as far as Kansas State goes:

• Basketball is over, following K-State’s 53-49 win over TCU in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament. This means that for the first time since 1971, K-State’s season ends with a win.
• The women are also done, spared a first-round meeting with Baylor.
• Four Wildcats had made the cut for the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships; they’re now done for the year as well, since those have also been cancelled.
• All K-State sports competitions are cancelled through March 30. In addition to track and basketball, this affects baseball, tennis, golf, and rowing.
• All in-person recruiting activities are cancelled through March 30. No visits to recruits, no visits to campus.
• All out-of-season practices are cancelled through March 30. The primary victim here, of course, will be spring football.

There is one piece of news specific to K-State today; Jeff Goodman reports via Twitter that Nigel Shadd has entered the transfer portal.

There’s really no telling what will happen in the weeks to come. Sports are why we’re here, but for now our most fervent hope is that when we have sports to talk about again we’re still here to talk about them — and that every single one of you is still here to read about them. Above all, BotC is a community. You’re family, in a way which goes beyond even the #FAMILY branding of K-State athletics.

In light of that, we’re going to keep providing some sort of content, even if it’s silly and stupid and has nothing to do with sports. Please hang in there, and don’t be shy about sharing your situations if you need to.

Be safe, and be strong.