Impressions from my first-ever KCAC football media day

Written by John Giffin Tuesday, 10 August 2010 15:56

Stealing the idea from my Free Press predecessor, Andrew Ottoson, I have decided to dedicate this week’s column to highlights of my first Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football media day, which I attended Friday in Salina.

• The biggest highlight was having 2010 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Ted Kessinger in attendance. Kessinger coached at Bethany for 28 seasons, winning 16 KCAC titles from 1976 to 2003. His career record is 219-57-1. Kessinger was inducted into NAIA Hall of Fame in 2003 and Kansas Sports Hall of fame in 2005.

Bethany, now coached by Jamie Cruce, was picked to finish sixth in the coaches poll and media poll.

• The day was overshadowed by the loss of McPherson football manager Blake Reed. He...

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‘The Decision’ was must-see television

Written by John Giffin Tuesday, 13 July 2010 18:04

Being the big man that I am, I will admit it: I bought into the NBA summertime free agency and found myself tuned into THE interview with LeBron James on ESPN radio on my way home from Lyons Thursday night.

I even texted my wife to DVR the one-hour ESPN program.

However strange a television event it turned out to be, no one can argue this has been a historic year for professional sports free agency.

For example, I don’t think I’ve ever seen teams completely gut their rosters to make cap space for the opportunity to land a James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh or Amare Stoudemire. The Heat had one active player on its roster (Mario Chalmers) when they acquired James and Bosh.

The Heat compensated the Cavaliers and Raptors with multiple...

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Baseball movies that capture game’s spirit

Written by John Giffin Tuesday, 22 June 2010 18:59

Now that the NBA Finals have concluded and a form of the Big XII has been saved (for now), sports fans can focus on America’s pastime.

With the steroid era over, the power offenses no longer dominate the game and baseball has returned to the game that had unparalleled popularity through most of the 20th century.

Also unparalleled are the stories produced from unusual elements of baseball. With its unique season, players, coaches and traditions, baseball provides countless opportunities for stories told from local barber shops to Hollywood studios.

While most of the Hollywood baseball motion pictures are not based on true events, baseball’s spirit is well represented on the big screen. I have compiled five movies I think capture...

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Pac 10 has plans to woo Big 12 schools

Written by John Giffin Tuesday, 08 June 2010 15:49

Following the lead of the Big 10 Conference, the Pac 10 is trying to raid the Big 12. Given the go-ahead to proceed with expansion in a meeting in San Francisco Sunday, Pac 10 commissioner Larry Scott is looking to add up to six teams from the Big 12.

The teams that could receive offers are Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Baylor and Colorado.

The Pac 10 would align the teams into two divisions. The western division would be USC, UCLA, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Washington State, California and Stanford.

Six Big 12 teams would join Arizona and Arizona State in the eastern division.

The expansion would be good for the Pac 10 but devastating to the Big 12 conference, which is in danger of losing...

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