Parents lost a son. Siblings lost a brother. Friends lost one of their own. Hillsboro lost a 16-year-old student, who also was known as an athlete and actor. The news that Demarius Cox died while attending a church camp last month in Colorado came as a shock and gave the community a real gut check. Many people commented on social […]

It’s hard to conceive that former Wichita State University basketball star Fred VanVleet outscored all-star Steph Curry in game 6 of the NBA finals to help the Toronto Raptors win the NBA championship. Some would say VanVleet was fortunate to even be on an NBA team, much less contribute significant minutes and points against Golden State. Unlike most NBA athletes, […]

The fall from the penthouse to the outhouse didn’t take all that long for the Kansas City Royals. After winning the World Series in 2015, the Royals lost more than 100 games three years later, a feat they may duplicate yet again this year. But don’t lose heart, Royals fans. This year’s team was called “the best bad team in […]

“I’ve been rich. I’ve been poor. Rich is better.” That was the wisdom according to the words on a poster. The masses generally agree with that sentiment. That’s why it may surprise you to learn that NBA commissioner Adam Silver is concerned about the mental health of the rich and famous NBA athletes. “When I meet with them, what surprises […]

Basketball officiating has always been challenging.I’ve always maintained that young kids playing Mid America Youth Basketball are the hardest to officiate because the quality of play is, uh, less than stellar. Often there’s no flow and the play is erratic at best, and there are vastly different skill levels on the court. As players move up to high school and […]

Sports leaders of all stripes tinker with how to make their particular sport more attractive to the general populace. The game of baseball has been around for a long time, and those in charge continually think about ways to increase interest in it. Major League Baseball (MLB) is unusual among the sports world in that it allows its two leagues […]

My agent I.M. Slick dropped by the other day and asked if he could take over my column this week. I told him, “That depends. What do you have in mind?” Here’s what followed. I.M. Slick: Have you heard of a game where you have to pick between two very difficult and sometimes bad alternatives? Joe: Yeah. Slick: Let’s try […]

When K-State was upset in the first round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, some fans didn’t like Coach Bruce Weber’s decision to sit star senior guard Barry Brown when he picked up two quick fouls in the first five minutes of the game. Never mind that more than 90 percent of college coaches in America sit players when they pick […]

Remember the saying “The thrill of victory and agony of defeat”? That applies to the season-ending loss for the Tabor College women’s basketball team at the national NAIA tournament. The Bluejays won the regular season KCAC title this year, and the subsequent conference tournament championship for the fourth year in a row. That is an amazing accomplishment at any level […]

Perry Warden, who graduated from Tabor College in 1993, recently decided to step away from officiating after 35 years. I had the privilege of officiating basketball with Warden some years ago, and he was one of the good guys. Warden gave me permission to share his letter, which should be of interest to anyone involved with sports. Here are some […]