Golf world buzzing about DeChambeau

Tiger Woods, of course, is still far and away the biggest draw in professional golf.

Tiger revolutionized the game more than 20 years ago and even at age 44, he’s the one guy that everybody will pay to see.

But we may be watching a new era on the horizon.

Ever since the PGA Tour returned about a month ago, 26-year-old Bryson DeChambeau has captured everyone’s imagination.

DeChambeau used the lengthy delay in the Tour due to the coronavirus  pandemic to apparently lock himself in an experimental lab and emerge with a new look. He’s reportedly about 40 pounds heavier and ripped like a bodybuilder as he almost needs to cut the sleeves of his shirt because of his bulging muscles.

And he’s playing a game that appeals to even the casual fan. He’s hitting prodigious, mammoth drives that regularly top 350 yards and is turning par-5s into nothing more than pitch-and-putts.

Whereas many players can not reach par-5s in 2 regularly, DeChambeau is hitting 600-yard holes with a driver and sometimes medium iron. He had a couple of instances this weekend where he hit driver and then an 8- or 9-iron to set up eagles and gimme birdies.

DeChambeau goes after the ball in full-out assault mode. He’s like those guys who compete in those long-drive contests, winding up and taking a violent swing. The difference is, he’s able to put the ball in play much of the time and even when he’s out of play, he’s driven it so close to the green it doesn’t take himself much to extract from trouble.

DeChambeau literally overpowered the field this weekend in the Rocket Mortgage Classic, winning by 3 strokes after starting the day 3 shots off the lead. He became the first PGA player since 2004 to lead a tournament not only in driving distance (which he did by a lot), but also was tops in shots gained off the tee and putting.

He’s not been a one-trick pony. He has placed in the Top 8 in seven   straight tournaments, a remarkable feat when you consider the depth of the fields. When he learns to gain touch on his wedge game, he could take over the sport. He makes enough putts and owns the par-5s that shooting over par is almost an anomaly.

Before this recent surge, DeChambeau has been known for his quirkiness as much as his game.

He’s the only golfer who has all his clubs made the same length. Normally clubs are made shorter for shorter shots, longer for longer shots.

But not DeChambeau. His 3-iron is the same length as his wedge. Being somebody who plays golf religiously, that would feel terribly uncomfortable to me.

He’s also outrageously bright. He uses a lot of theory in his golf, employing the laws of physics and other outside-of-the-box thinking.

DeChambeau is a golfer who wears his emotions on his sleeve. If he doesn’t hit a shot exactly perfect, you’ll hear about it now that there are no fans and the microphones are picking up audio from the players more than in the past.

Maybe it’s good for DeChambeau there are no fans currently allowed. He’s one of those “you either love him or hate him” types because he does come off somewhat arrogant, even if he’s not. He just seems supremely confident right now and why not?

It will be interesting to see how long DeChambeau can stay on this incredible roll. Right now, he’s a breath of fresh air and adds some pizzazz to the game.

Top prep recruit shuns blueblood programs

Putting a wrap on the week…

5-STAR RECRUIT ESCHEWS MAJORS – Makur Maker, a 5-Star basketball recruit, was highly sought after by most of the top schools in the country.

UCLA, Kentucky and Memphis, all schools dripping with tradition, were wooing the 6-11 forward, who is ranked No. 16 in the Top 100 players.

However when it came time for his announcement, Maker surprised the basketball world by choosing Howard University, an historically Black college in the Washington, D.C. area.

"I was the 1st to announce my visit to Howard & others started to dream 'what if,'" Maker wrote on Twitter. "I need to make the HBCU movement real so that others will follow. I hope I inspire guys like Mikey Williams (one of the top recruits for 2023) to join me on this journey. I am committing to Howard U & coach Kenny Blakeney."

Maker’s commitment makes him the highest-rated recruit to commit to an historically Black college since ESPN’s recruiting ratings began in 2007.

At Howard, which has an enrollment of nearly 10,000 students, Maker won’t be facing the competition he would at, say, a Memphis or Kentucky. Given that he’s such a high-level player, he’s most likely going to be a one-and-done recruit.

"A lot of people are comfortable with familiarity. Kids could say, 'I would feel welcome that I'm not just an athlete -- I'm part of a community,'" Ed Smith, Maker's guardian, told ESPN recently. "On the visit at Howard, that was the main difference. Just for me on the outside looking in, he's part of the fabric. You're not just the athlete or the Black athlete."

It will be interesting to see if Maker starts a trend. ESPN reports that historically Black colleges have been making more of an effort to recruit big-time players given events that have been transpiring.

At Howard, Maker will be playing for Kenny Blakeney, who has the pedigree of having played at Duke, where he was team captain for coach Mike Krzyzewski. He played on the 1992 NCAA national championship team.

Howard finished in last place in its conference this past season, going 3-28 overall and 1-15 in conference play.

WASHINGTON’S NFL TEAM BEING PRESSURED TO CHANGE NAME – According to ESPN, Fed Ex – which has naming rights to the stadium the Washington Redskins play at – requested Thursday the team drop its nickname.

Fed Ex paid a cool $205 million for naming rights back in 1998 and the deal expires in 2025. Fed Ex’s chairman, Frederick Smith, owns a minority stake in the team.

Washington for years has been under siege to drop its longtime nickname.  According to ESPN, shareholders and investment firms who have a combined worth of $620 billion have sent letters of Fed Ex, Nike and PepsiCo asking the companies to sever ties with the team unless it changes the name. On Thursday, Nike reportedly removed all Redskins’ gear from its online store.

Native Americans allege the name is degrading and the team has been taken to court in the past, only to see the efforts denied.

But given everything that has transpired in our country in recent months, there’s a strong chance the name will be changed.

HAVE A HAPPY 4TH  -- Here’s to wishing everybody a safe and healthy 4th  of July. These are trying times, but if everybody does their part we can slow the spread of the invisible virus that has killed so many.

KSHSAA still planning for 2020 fall sports

Thursday’s thoughts…

KSHSAA PROCEEDING WITH 2020 FALL SEASON AT THIS POINT – After rumors reportedly circulated recently on social media that fall sports would be cancelled in Kansas due to the coronavirus pandemic, KSHSAA executive director Bill Faflick came out with an update to clarify the situation.

Faflick spoke Wednesday via zoom with some members of the media. The association reportedly is waiting for guidance from the Kansas Board of Education and that is expected in about 2 weeks.

“Once the executive order is provided we’ll be able to provide some guidance to member schools,” Faflick said. “Right now, what we’ve shared with our member schools is we support universal masks, and it is important for us to take every precaution now to mitigate the risk of spread of COVID-19, so that we have the best chance possible to resume school, come back to school, with the healthiest student population, staff population possible and we all have a part and responsibility to do that now.”

One popular rumor that has been circulated is that Kansas’ spring sports might move to the fall, but Faflick said KSHSAA doesn’t support that.

“Our spring athletes already lost a full season, those kids didn’t have the opportunity to participate at all this past spring,” Faflick said. “If our baseball kids, our track kids, our softball players don’t have the opportunity, our girl soccer kids, our music folks don’t get the opportunity to be a part of a competitive and a performance-based season again because fall is at higher risk to be compromised than spring, that would be very damaging. While we’ve looked at that at this point, on July 1, that doesn’t seem to be the direction we want to go.”

Currently, August 17 is the starting day for fall practices. Faflick said KSHSAA also is urging the wearing of masks to help stop the spread. He urges athletes to wear masks to conditioning sessions and during conditioning when they are not involved in a “physically exertive act.”

Hopefully the recent trend of cases will start to decline and we will be able to have sports this fall.

NEW PANEL TO HEAR KU’S CASE – The men’s basketball program at the University of Kansas, which is under fire from the NCAA for alleged pay-for-play allegations, will have its case heard by a new panel that has been designed to handle the most complex cases.

The charges being leveled at Kansas reportedly include a responsibility charge of lack of institutional control against Hall of Fame coach Bill Self. Media reports indicate assistant coach Kurtis Townsend also is involved.

According to The Lawrence Journal-world, if found guilty KU could face penalties ranging from postseason bans and vacated wins to suspensions for Self and Townsend.

KU has vehemently denied allegations against its program. Oklahoma State recently was hit with penalties for violations.

BROWN TO SEATTLE? – A video has surfaced with troubled free-agent wide receiver Antonio Brown working out with Seattle superstar quarterback Russell Wilson.

Brown’s career has gone off the rails the last couple of years, after being the best receiver game, due to his attitude and inability to get along with coaches.

There’s no question he’s a talent. Seattle has a Father Flanigan-type of coach in Pete Carroll, who is the NFL’s oldest coach. Maybe the Seahawks might bring Brown in for a whirl.

The Seahawks need receiving help. The question is whether or not they can deal all the baggage that comes with Brown, who is probably still one of the Top 5 receivers in football.

Talking Jones' contract, Gipson's blocks

Wednesday’s ramblings…

JONES TO SIT OUT? – As hard as it is to believe, there is a downside to winning the Super Bowl.

The Kansas City Chiefs may soon find that out.

When you win it all, everybody wants theirs. It’s no secret the Chiefs are preparing a blank check to extend the contract of franchise quarterback Patrick Mahomes, but what they have to pay him is going to leave the rest of the pie in small pieces.

And big defensive tackle Chris Jones is seeing that and wants a much larger slice of that pie.

According to numerous reports, Jones is “hinting” that he may hold out as he wants a new deal. The defensive tackle is by far the best lineman on the team and at times can be dominating when the mood strikes.

The Chiefs used their non-exclusive franchise tag on Jones in March and have 2 more weeks to reach a long-term contract. Problem is, Jones has yet to sign that tag, which would pay him id="mce_marker"6.1 million for next season -- id="mce_marker" million a game.

But he reportedly tweeted that not playing in 2020 is an option, alluding to Le’Veon Bell’s situation in 2018 when he sat out the year with Pittsburgh and was then traded to the New York Jets, where he played for a woeful team in 2019 and didn’t enjoy close to his usual success. But he got his money, which is what mattered most.

During the Super Bowl celebration, Jones reportedly said he wanted to be “a Chief for life.” But once the euphoria died down, he apparently has had a change of heart.

He also has tweeted “hope that they know that I love em, but all good things must come to an end…”

Jones haggled about money with the Chiefs in 2019 as well. Let’s hope the two sides can agree to a deal because the rest of the defensive line for the Super Bowl champions is rather pedestrian.

17 BLOCKS FOR GIPSON? – There’s always been a question about the number of blocks that McPherson High’s Marlies Gipson came up with in the 2005 Class 5A state championship basketball game against Shawnee Heights.

Gipson was officially credited with 14 blocks in the Bullpups’ win over Shawnee Heights that completed a perfect 25-0 season. She, of course, went on to a legendary career at Kansas State, playing on some Wildcat teams that were immensely popular and wildly successful, and she also played with her Bullpup teammate Ashley Sweat during her KSU career.

I received an interesting email today from Marlies’ mother, Tammy, who is a teacher at St. Joseph School. She informed me that while in Hays at her parents’ house, she was helping with some cleaning when she ran across the tape of that game.

Tammy said during the game her father kept a tally of Marlies’ blocks and he had her at 17, a number MHS coach Chris Strathman has noted to me in the past. Now with the video surfacing, a viewing will reveal a true number.

Gipson was one of the most graceful and athletic players ever to play for MHS and was a true defensive dominator. She is now a teacher in the USD 475 school system in Geary County.

SUMMER GOING FAST – June is now gone and today is the first of July.

I know the start of school is still approximately 6 weeks away, but even without much activity going on, time flies.

Just keep praying we will be at the point in August that kids can go back to school and we can have some semblance of a sports season. You can never have too much power of the prayer.

2020 has not been a good year so far

Today marks the end of the first half of 2020.

From sports to what’s happening in the world, it’s probably been the worst half-year I’ve witnessed in my lifetime of 63-plus years on this beloved earth. So much pain, so much heart-break, so much hatred and, sadly, so much death. This is not how I envisioned the start of a new decade.

It all started in March during the KSHSAA State Basketball Tournaments when first-round games were completed on Wednesday and Thursday, but then the shock of the coronavirus effects became relevant. The virus was still somewhat of an unknown and at the time never did we expect what would happen over the next 3 ½  months.

At the very same time, professional sports were first being affected when an NBA game between the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder was abruptly halted when Jazz All-Star Rudy Gobert became the first known player to test positive.

We were at Emporia at the time and a pall was cast over William Allen White Auditorium. McPherson High’s girls had played the first game of the day, but rumors were spreading about the arena that the state was in the process of cancelling the rest of the tournament.

And it did. School wound up going virtual with online lessons and all spring sports in Kansas were cancelled. Graduations were cancelled or postponed and we were all – and still are -- in a state of limbo.

Businesses were shut down and many people lost their jobs to no fault of their own. We basically couldn’t go anywhere until the spread was slowed.

The NBA and Major League Baseball seasons were halted, though both are scheduled to return at the end of next month. However, given the recent explosion in virus cases, some players are starting to opt out and deciding they can’t put themselves or their families at risk.

The professional golf tour, which has the most social distancing, has resumed, but a few players and caddies are still testing positive. It is going without fans, which has seemed so odd. Auto racing also has returned, though without spectators.

The NFL is forging ahead with its season at this point, but again, given the skyrocketing number of cases you just have to wonder if we’ll have football in the fall. All it takes is for an outbreak on a team to set off a firestorm of events that could lead to a halting.

College football, another major spectator sport, also is trying to figure out what it’s going to do.

The first half-year also has been highlighted by social unrest the likes not seen in this country since 1968. It has made our society take a long look at how we view others and what we need to do to make the country a better place. Remember, we are all God’s creation.

I find these times so terribly troubling and it makes my heart ache. We all have had to make adjustments in our lives and changed the way we spend our free time. I, for one, find myself staying at home more and only getting out when needed.

Are there going to be in-school classes this fall? Who knows? Are there going to be games this fall?  It’s anybody’s guess. For someone who makes their livelihood writing about high school and college sports, I can’t imagine my fall without going to games. These are truly surreal times and all we can do is try to make the best of a bad situation – and pray.

Let’s hope a cure for the virus is found sooner than later and we can return to some semblance of normalcy in the second half of 2020. I don’t think we can take 6 more months of what we’ve been through. I don’t want this to be the new normal.

MHS boys basketball tabbed No. 3 by Max Preps

Monday thoughts…

MAX PREPS PICKS MHS BOYS BASKETBALL NO. 3 IN KANSAS IN THE 2010 DECADE – Max Preps recently posted a list of its Top 10 boys basketball programs in Kansas for the decade of the 2010s and McPherson High was ranked No. 3.

The Bullpups won three state championships in the decade and finished second three other times. MHS won titles in 2011, 2014 and 2015, while finishing second three straight years (to Bishop Miege) from 2016-18.

Ahead of MHS were Blue Valley Northwest (five state titles, two seconds) and Wichita Heights (three state championships, no runner-ups).

Sunrise Christian Academy, which is not affiliated with the Kansas State High School Activities Association, was No. 4 and Miege was No. 5. Rounding out the Top 10 were Wichita East, Blue Valley North, Basehor-Linwood, Scott Community and Lawrence. Just missing the Top 10 were Central Plains, St. John, Ottawa, Olathe East and Holcomb.

PATRIOTS MADE SHREWD MOVE -- New England’s signing of former NFL MVP Cam Newton this weekend is just another illustration of why the Patriots are the Patriots – and why they never seem to fall off.

It appeared the Patriots were going to enter the post-Tom Brady era at quarterback with only unproven Jarrett Stidham and journeyman Brian Hoyer.

But as I thought all along, the Patriots had been laying in the weeds on Newton. You knew given all he’s accomplished in his career he wouldn’t sign with a team that has no chance to win.

Just when the detractors were ready to write off the Patriots and relegate them to also-ran status, they stepped up at the last minute and signed the nine-year veteran, who was the No. 1 overall pick in 2011.

Newton has been plagued by injuries in recent years, not to mention a lack of supporting cast, other than Christian McCaffery. He’ll be joining a diverse offense that doesn’t feature All-World talent, but each player knows his role. The Patriots probably will be more run-heavy without Brady and if Newton is close to 100 percent, he might even get out on the edge on run-pass options.

New England has taken flyers in the past on high-profile players, with some hits and misses. They definitely hit on Randy Moss and Wes Welker, while missing on Antonio Brown and Josh Gordon.

But this is not a gamble in my book as I believe Newton is a perfect fit and he’ll relish the chance to continue Brady’s tradition.

MANZIEL SAYS HE’S PROBABLY DONE – Remember Johnny Manziel?

Manziel burst onto the college football scene at Texas A & M in 2012 by winning the Heisman Trophy as a freshman when he rushed for more than 1,000 yards and passed for more than 3,000.

But “Johnny Football” wasn’t equipped to handle fame and fortune. He was drafted in the first round by the Cleveland Browns, but was a bust and then drifted to Canada, with similar results.

It’s hard to believe Manziel is only 27, but in a story on ESPN’s website he revealed he’s probably done with football and how the game the game humbled both athletically and as a person.

Manziel battled off-the-field problems as well. In 2018, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Hopefully Manziel will have a productive life after football and find happiness in life.

Mac, BC gridders to play only 8 conference games

Friday thoughts:

KCAC FOOTBALL SCHEDULE CHANGED – As posted recently, the KCAC has made a dramatic change for the 2020 season, if we have a season at all.

Considering the explosion of COVID-19 cases nationally, you really have to wonder if the season is going to come off and if it does, will there be fans in the stands.

If the season does occur, McPherson College will be playing a nine-game slate, with one game being deemed a non-conference game.

The Bulldogs’ season opener Sept. 12 at perennial power Sterling is now designated as a non-conference game as the KCAC decided to play just an eight-game conference schedule.

The Bulldogs’ home conference games will be against Bethel, Friends, Kansas Wesleyan and Avila. Bethel, Kansas Wesleyan and Avila were all strong teams last year.

On the road, Mac will make two close trips to Tabor and Bethany, while going a bit of a distance for games at Saint Mary and Southwestern.

Noticeably absent from this year’s schedule is Ottawa, a team the Bulldogs edged 19-17 in a McPherson Stadium thriller last year.

The Bulldogs will be entering their second year under coach Jeremiah Fiscus, whose first edition was streaky. Mac opened the year 0-3, with all three losses by close margins. It followed that up with a five-game winning streak, before closing with three losses, the difference between a winning and losing season really coming down to the overtime loss to Bethany despite the fact Mac accumulated more than 500 yards of offense.

With the pandemic going on, I really haven’t had much contact with Fiscus about his recruiting, but the last time I talked with him much of it had been firmed up about the time the virus hit.

SWEDES’ SCHEDULE CHANGED – Speaking of Bethany, the Swedes earlier had released their schedule, but it now has been changed when the KCAC announced that it was going to an eight-game conference schedule.

Bethany originally had its opener set for Sept. 5 against Bethel, but that game has been cancelled when the NAIA ruled that no games could be played before Sept. 12.

The Swedes now open their season on the 12th  at Saint Mary before returning home for the usual throwdown with Kansas Wesleyan.

Other road games for the Swedes are against Southwestern, Sterling, Ottawa and Tabor.

Other home games are against Avila, Friends and McPherson College.

Like Mac, Bethany enters the season with a second-year coach as Curran White guided the Swedes to a 4-6 mark last season with wins in three of the last four games.

PLEASE BE CAREFUL – As I noted earlier, the COVID-19 pandemic is spreading like wildfire.

I know a lot of people believe there’s no way they’ll get it, but I urge everyone to not let your guard down.

Whenever I go into stores or get gas, I always wear my mask. Is it uncomfortable? Yes. But is it necessary? Absolutely. I’m protecting myself as well as others.

Social distancing should be practiced as much as possible, but from what I’ve seen it’s gone by the boards. I think we’ve relaxed to the point where the virus is gaining steam, reflected in the number of cases in our county skyrocketing.

So please be careful. We have no idea where we’ll be a month from now, but given the current numbers, the news probably won’t be good.

Baseball is going to be very different

No longer is baseball considered a marathon and not a sprint.

If the season does indeed resume on July 23 or 24 as has been announced, it will be a mad dash to the finish line as just 60 games are going to be played, which represents only 37 percent of the schedule.

Those who often have lamented the season being too long are surely in heaven, but we’re so accustomed to the 162-game body-numbing grind that it’s going to be a huge mindset adjustment

Of course, everything hinges on the COVID-19 pandemic, which is exploding daily. I really fear about the re-start, given the skyrocketing number of cases as people have relaxed their social distancing and wearing masks in public. It’s like business as usual, when instead the virus is here to stay until a vaccine can be found.

What happens if one player tests positive and then there’s an outbreak on his team? Will half a team be called up to take the place of the quarantined or hospitalized players? What if it happens the first week and a team is forced to forge on with basically a minor-league roster for at least two weeks?

That’s why returning is so uncertain and so many are terribly fearful.

No fans in the stands, at least at the start of the season, will contribute to the weirdness. The crack of the bat will reverberate throughout stadiums and we’ll get to hear players on the field from the crowd mics.

Never has there been such a sense of urgency in the regular season. Teams that get off to a 2-8 or 1-9 start will likely be out of the race before it ever starts. We could see some unusual teams at the top of standings early on. Last year, Seattle got off to a blazing start by going 13-2, then finished with just 68 wins. In regular times, a team wasn’t that concerned with a three- or four-game losing streak early in the season because it knew there was plenty of time to make up ground. Now, every game matters.

The other big change is going to be the schedule as baseball is going to become regional. Teams are going to play 10 games each against their own division and then four games against the corresponding division in the other league.

Kansas City thus will play 10 games apiece against Cleveland, Minnesota, Chicago and Detroit. Then it will play four against St. Louis, the Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.

Cleveland and Minnesota are both coming off big years, while Chicago and Detroit have been down for a while. But the White Sox made some big moves in the offseason and are primed to make a big move.

In the NL Central, St. Louis, the Cubs and Milwaukee are all considered playoff teams.

Strategy will certainly be different. The bullpen has become such a big part of the game and will be even more so with the shortened season. I think you’ll see a return of four-man starting staffs as pitchers would only have to make 15 starts, which figures to roughly 90 to 100 innings. A five-man rotation would see starters open only 12 games and throw about 65 or 70 innings.

Among the key rule changes for the season is that the designated hitter will be universal, so we won’t see pitchers bat. Also in extra-inning games, a runner will be placed on second base to start the inning, which is an attempt to keep games from going long distances.

Normally baseball has much of the summer to itself. But the NBA also is going to be starting its season a week after the baseball reboot and with its playoffs starting soon, you just wonder if baseball will become just an afterthought.

One positive of the shortened season is that players should be able to stay fresher. They still have to contend with the August heat, but their bodies should be able to survive much better.

This is going to be strange for all of us. Hopefully COVID-19 won’t take over the game and force it to shut down. It’s hard to imagine a year without the Fall Classic, which last happened in 1994 due to the players’ strike.

Hard to believe it's been 6 years

It was 6 years ago today I lost my best friend.

My Dad, Paul, went to join his angel, my Mom Betty, on June 24, 2014, after living 87 wonderful years on this earth.

I always admired my Dad how he lived on for nearly 20 years without his beloved partner, who was his one-and-only. They were such a great team for 46 years and when Mom went to heaven in 1995, I was worried that he would go downhill fast.

But he fought on like a trooper and devoted the rest of his life to myself, my sister and her family.

I didn’t realize until later in life just how much my Dad meant to me. When I was a kid, we didn’t have many of the same interests even though he tried his best to be a part of my world and I sometimes was too stubborn to accept his support.

My life as a youth centered around sports and competition. Dad did help coach my Little League basketball team a couple of years, though he really had no interest in the sport and only watched it on TV when KU was on. He sat on the bench during my games and gave encouragement, leaving the Xs and Os to the head coach.

He would attend my Little League baseball games the two years I played, but at a distance. I was discouraged my first year because I wasn’t playing much, but he always told me to be patient and my chance would come and I had to make the most of it. It did halfway through the season and then I was a key player for my team my final year.

Golf was something we did have in common, but seldom did we ever play together when I was young. He played with his friends and I had plenty of my friends to play with. Only in the Father-Son Tournament each year did we actually play together, but again he was very encouraging and positive. Later in life, we played every summer in The Swinging Bridge Tournament and he played it well into his late 70s even though physically it was too much for him, though he never complained about playing three straight days in near-100 degree temperatures.

Dad was more of an outdoorsman. He loved to hunt and fish with his Dad, who had a small cabin and dock at Farlington Lake north of Girard. If I have a regret in life it’s that I didn’t take more of a shine to fishing as it’s something that could really have brought us closer together. But I simply didn’t have the patience to sit in a boat or on a bank for hours with nary a bite.

Dad also went to Western Kansas on hunting trips with his Dad and uncle when I was young, though he gradually gave that up. He did take me out in the woods on a few occasions to shoot the gun, but it wasn’t something that interested me a great deal.

In high school, I only played golf and I always told him it would be best that he not attend my tournaments because it would make me nervous. At our home meets he would come out and look at the scores when they came in, but he respected my wishes by not watching. Back then, you really didn’t have many parents follow their kids like they do now.

When I attended KU, Dad would be excited about coming up to my fraternity house for Dad’s Weekend. One thing about my Dad, he was outgoing and the life of the party. It took him about 5 minutes to find the piano and he entertained my frat brothers and they took an immediate liking to him. He always wanted to be “one of the boys.”

We took him out on the town one night, going to Paul Gray’s Jazz Place. It was well past midnight when my friends and I were making a run to a place called “The Hole in the Wall” and Dad wanted to go. We told him to get ready, but when I got back to the room he had fallen asleep. But he was a warrior for lasting as long as he did before nodding off.

Family and music were probably the loves of Dad’s life. After serving 3 years in the Navy (he joined when he was only 17), he went to dental school and then went into practice in Independence.

We lived in a modest, 1,300 square-foot house and he – along with my sister – always kept our property in tip-top shape. I took a few turns on the mower, but they had much more interest than me and did a better job. We also had a row of shrubs that Dad kept looking immaculate as he took pride in our house.

In his spare time, he played “gigs” with a variety of bands always with his friend George Jones, playing the piano for the most part along with the clarinet. My Mom sometimes used to go on the road for their short trips like Coffeyville or Pittsburg when his band would play on Saturday nights. He followed in the footsteps of his Dad, who played well into his 80s.

Even when Dad went to the nursing home, there was a piano there and he entertained the residents. Nothing gave Dad more pleasure than seeing the smiles on people’s faces as he played with a flair as he was ever the entertainer. It was amazing to me even with the onset of dementia that he could still play well at 85.

In his later years, Dad would call almost every day. In the summers he would want to know what I shot in my golf round and since he knew Turkey Creek having come up and played it on occasion, I could hear his mind racing when I read off the hole scores. When he was still able to drive, he would run down to the donut shop where his friends gathered daily and report my accomplishments, though I’m sure they really weren’t that interested. But they indulged him because they knew how proud of was of his son.

Near the end, Dad and I would talk about the afterlife. He was ready to go and be back with Mom. We talked about that right up until the final days as he would say, “just let me be with Betty.”

For the last 6 years, that’s exactly where he’s been. I can still feel both of them looking down on me every day and hopefully I’m making them proud. I’m looking forward to the day when we are all together again.

Nino was the greatest in Invitational history

There’s no question who is the greatest player in McPherson Invitational Basketball Tournament history.

Like Michael, LeBron and Magic, he was basically known by one name – Nino.

Nino Samuel was a larger-than-life, almost mythical figure when he played for Salina High School, which became Salina Central during his senior year in 1971-72.

Samuel passed away last week in Georgia at the age of 67, but his legend will forever live on, especially in the McPherson Invitational as his 54-point game against Garden City in the 1972 semifinals most likely will never be topped and I doubt anybody will catch the 114 points that Samuel and Wichita North scoring machine Conner Frankamp accomplished for a three-game tournament. Frankamp needed a 48-point game on Saturday in 2012 to catch Samuel.

Nino scored only 24 points in the Invitational during his sophomore year in 1970, but then picked it up with 68 as a junior (22.7 points a game) before exploding his senior year as he led the Mustangs to their third straight Invitational title.

I can recall many conversations with the late McPherson High coach Jay Frazier about Nino and often he would be shaking his head when we would talk. “Man among boys” was a term he used to describe the 6-4 and 220-pounder who could play well above the rim. He said Nino and Wyandotte’s Lucius Allen, who would later play at UCLA and had a long NBA career, were the two best players the Bullpups ever went up against.

I remember when I was the Sports Editor at The Sentinel and asked Harold Bechard at The Salina Journal to send me a game photo of Nino so I could use it in my pre-tournament tab as I was writing about the best players in tournament history. He sent me a stunning photo of Nino blocking a shot where he appeared to be about 7 feet off the ground and 2 feet above rim. I’m sure he terrified many a player with his physical gifts as you just didn’t see players that powerful at that age.

I was a 15-year-old in Independence, Kansas, during Nino’s senior year, but word of his legend had spread state-wide. I never got to see him play in person, but many in McPherson were fortunate to have had the pleasure because of the Invitational.

Being a KU fan, I can remember how excited I was when I learned he had signed with the Jayhawks after a senior year in which he averaged 31 points and 19 rebounds a game. KU was coached by Ted Owens at the time and was among the top teams in the country, including a Final 4 appearance in 1971.

Owens was known for his plodding teams with a lot of size. The ’71 Final Four team included 6-10 Dave Robisch and 6-11 Roger Brown, then wing players Bud Stallworth, Pierre Russell and Aubrey Nash. The Jayhawks liked to pound the ball inside and play methodical since there was no shot clock.

Samuel, who described himself as a “greyhound” in a story penned by Bechard, simply didn’t fit in with Owens’ style and wound up finishing his career in Salina at Marymount University for legendary coach Ken Cochran. He later played professionally, but never made it to the NBA as injuries – including six knee injuries – took their toll.

Samuel used his basketball career, however, to make a nice life for himself. He owned and operated “Nino Samuel Basketball and Personal Training” for the last 30 years and was known for his generosity, warmth and being a family man. He also coached at the high school, AAU, college and professional levels.

For three years, McPherson fans were honored with his presence and you can ask any of the longtime tournament faithful who the greatest to play in the event was and it unanimously will be Nino.