NU's new coach is Doc who?

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Aug 9, 2006

Midweek musings while extending get-well-soon wishes to Buck O'Neil:

n Has there every been a better ambassador for baseball, or mankind, for that matter, than Buck?

n Common sense trumps macho when you're practicing football in 104-degree temperature.

n Do those K-State football players who've flunked their conditioning test have any chance of passing it in today's heat?

n Anyone else reading Tim Bisel's column about Bill Snyder in the C-J last week get the impression the coach wants to coach again?

n When was the last time the featured attraction at the Kaw Valley Catbackers bash was the men's basketball coach?

n I'm guessing Doc Sadler didn't generate quite the buzz in Lincoln that Bob Huggins did in Manhattan.

n Raise your hand if you'd ever heard of Doc Sadler.

n I'm not sure what it means when Ricardo Patton is the dean of Big 12 basketball coaches.

n I'm thinking No. 5 in the country seems a little high for an Oklahoma team that just booted its starting quarterback.

n By the way, doesn't what Rhett Bomar did constitute an NCAA violation?

n I'm also thinking No. 2 in the country seems a little high for a Texas team that will start a yet-to-be-named freshman quarterback.

n How'd you like to be a freshman being asked to replace Vince Young?

n In the Big 12, at least outside of Iowa State and Nebraska, this is the year of the quarterback ... question mark.

n Will Kerry Meier be a better quarterback than Dylan Meier?

n Here's hoping former KU standout John Randle, given a second chance at Southern Illinois, won't fumble away this one.

n Randle had All-Big 12 talent.

n The local indoor football league could have saved itself another dose of embarrassment by simply not designating a champion.

n Do the Kansas Koyotes consider themselves champions?

n How does the league spin next season after the way this one ended?

n Will there be a 2007 season?

n If athletes are foolish enough to use banned substances, I guess it explains their foolish explanations for why they tested positive.

n Do these guys really believe they aren't going to get caught?

n You'd like to give Floyd Landis and Justin Gatlin the benefit of the doubt, but puhleeze, guys, come up with something better than this pathetic claim that you don't know how those substances got into your body.

n Is it a coincidence the Dodgers won 10 in a row immediately after trading Odalis Perez to the Royals?

n Raise your hand if you thought the Royals rotation in August would include Perez, Luke Hudson and Jorge De La Rosa.

n Is it too much to expect major-league pitchers to be able to throw the ball over the plate?

n Are the Royals on the verge of setting some kind of record for walks and wild pitches?

n Considering that 34 of KC's last 50 games are against teams either leading their division or in the thick of the wild-card chase, another 100-loss season looks like a lock.

n P. S. What was the best thing before sliced bread?

Pete Goering can be reachedat (785) 295-1191or pete.goering@cjonline.com.