Whatever happened to Tiger Woods, Wie?

Written by Joe Kleinsasser Tuesday, 05 June 2012 12:24

Tiger Woods and Michelle Wie have a lot in common. The most obvious is that both were highly touted as great long before they had accomplished anything professionally on the golf tour.

The difference is just as stark—Woods became one of the great golfers of all time, while Wie has just two wins and no major championships.

Of course, at 23, Wie still has youth on her side. Woods is battling injuries and Father Time.

Whenever a sportswriter throws around superlatives about who might be the next great athlete in a particular sport, look out.

For one, it’s nearly impossible to live up to lofty expectations based on potential.

And secondly, for even the most talented, it’s difficult to project the long-term physical and mental...

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Recapping Tabor athletics for 2011-12

Written by Joe Kleinsasser Tuesday, 22 May 2012 15:44

In the annals of Tabor athletic history, 2011-12 will not go down as its most successful year. However, there were some notable accomplishments.

The baseball team tied for first in the conference, took second in the KCAC tournament and hosted a regional in Hutchinson, finishing second.

The men’s and women’s track and field teams finished third in the conference meet. Both teams had some outstanding individual performances.

The consistently strong volleyball program continued to perform well, placing second in the KCAC tournament.

The men’s soccer team finished with a nice 11-5-2 overall record.

The men’s cross-country team placed third in the KCAC meet.

Both tennis teams were competitive and finished with winning records in...

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Slick mocks annual NFL draft wisdom

Written by Hillsboro Free Press Tuesday, 08 May 2012 15:12

If you listen to sports radio talk shows in April, you hear pundits pontificating on which players should be drafted first in the NFL. Naturally, my agent I.M. Slick has some opinions on the topic as well, and he’s not the least bit bashful about sharing them.

Slick: I want you to ditch your underpaid sports writing gig and become an NFL scout.

Joe: Well, that’s an interesting idea. But what makes you think I’m qualified to be an NFL scout?

Slick: What makes you think you’re qualified to be a sports columnist?

Joe: Now wait just a minute.

Slick: It doesn’t matter if you’re qualified to be a scout. Have you paid any attention to the annual NFL meat market, er draft?”

Joe: A little. It’s always interesting to see who...

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Coaches’ stare best weapon in varied arsenal

Written by Joe Kleinsasser Tuesday, 24 April 2012 15:57

Coaches hate losing. Often during games, a coach can show utter disgust at a lack of effort or a loss of focus.

While much has been said about coaches who berate players in practice, during games or in the locker room, there is another tactic that may be even more difficult for players to handle.

Call it the stare.

Players will do almost anything to avoid the stare because there is some truth to the saying that looks can kill.

One wonders if former K-State basketball coach Frank Martin can stare through a wall. The stare is a staple of his sideline demeanor.

Jamar Samuels, one of his student-athletes, was quoted as saying, “You have to treat it a lot like the sun. Looking at it for more than a few seconds is dangerous to your...

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