By CHUCK SAMPLES ISL Correspondent – If you listened to all the hype the past several years, you would have sworn the world was going to implode when one person became the first openly gay athlete in America’s major sports. – Jason Collins did that. The world yawned. For all the hype, Collins’ announcement didn’t […]
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Category: Chuck Samples
By CHUCK SAMPLES ISL Correspondent I was going to write a column saying the 2012-13 bowl season wasn’t all that bad.Clouded by a thrilling start — Arizona bearing down with two touchdowns in under a minute to floor Nevada in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl — and fogged somewhat by Cincinnati’s sprint by Duke […]
Continue ReadingBy CHUCK SAMPLES ISL Correspondent Note: The author is a native of Omaha, Neb. #BigRedJobOpenings. I couldn’t help but tweet that as Nebraska struggled mightily with Northwestern last weekend. Part of that was NU’s difficulties beating a team it honestly should have had in hand by halftime. Part of that was Saturday’s effort stacked on […]
Continue ReadingCall it the Morgantown Mauling if you will. Massacre works as well. But Saturday’s 55-14 beatdown of No. 13 West Virginia by No. 4 Kansas State did much more than simply expose the Mountainerr’s horrific defense and restack the Heisman Trophy race deck at Geno Smith’s expense. It announced to the world, if you weren’t […]
Continue ReadingBy CHUCK SAMPLES ISL Correspondent After a pulsating end to the major league regular season (for a lot of us, myself included), the playoffs begin Friday. The past month saw a sprint to the finish in the AL East, won ultimately by the Yankees, the resurgence of Detroit coupled with a late stumble by Chicago…and […]
Continue ReadingBy CHUCK SAMPLES ISL Correspondent What we learned in Week 2 of the college football season: 1. Ho-hum for Alabama. At least for the early, nonconference portion of the schedule. Things change this weekend. 2. Think Arkansas wasn’t looking past Louisiana-Monroe to the Tide? Questions now are (1) how John L. Smith guides the Bacon […]
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By CHUCK SAMPLES ISL Correspondent Some things running through a sleep-deprived brain (in no particular order): 1. Let’s start with football. It’s good to have the college season underway. It also never ceases to amaze me that football can energize a university and community like no other sport can in this country. Think about it. […]
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By CHUCK SAMPLES ISL Correspondent “You can do a lot in a lifetime If you don’t burn out too fast You can make the most of the distance First you need endurance First you’ve got to last” — Rush, “Marathon” The Olympics are all about perseverance and inspiration. Listen to broadcasters talk about how athletes […]
Continue ReadingBy CHUCK SAMPLES ISL Correspondent If the NCAA doesn’t force Penn State to put its football program on ice after the Jerry Sandusky molestation nightmare, the U.S. Department of Education might. The NCAA is mulling whether to hammer Penn State with the so-called death penalty for an apparent culture of cover-up involving Sandusky, convicted recently of […]
Continue ReadingBy CHUCK SAMPLES ISL Correspondent Royals pitcher Jonathan Sanchez was designated for assignment Wednesday. He deserved it. Sanchez was 1-6 with a 7.76 ERA and 44 walks — all in 53 1/3 innings covering 12 starts. The pitcher who also has a no-hitter to his credit was routinely lit up by media folks in the […]
Continue ReadingNote: Chuck Samples was editor Cliff Brunt’s next-door neighbor for many years in Omaha, Neb. Now an award-winning radio broadcaster, he is the news director at KVOE in Emporia, Kan. He also serves as the color analyst for Emporia State football and broadcasts play-by-play for high school basketball in and around Emporia. He occasionally will write […]
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