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100 Questions: Editor's Choice

Chris Klieman has helped bring a new excitement to Kansas State sports.
Chris Klieman has helped bring a new excitement to Kansas State sports.

***Yesterday's Question HERE***

In an attempt to pass the time this off-season we're fortunate to have secured the help of scottwildcat from Boscoe's Boys. Scott is going to provide 100 questions about the past, present, future (and who-knows-what) involving Kansas State sports, and I'll do my very best to answer them.

Let's dive in to the 100 Questions.

Question No. 50: Free day - use this space to write about whatever you want.

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We're all friends here? I can tell a story and not be judged, right?

Scottwildcat, the man behind every single question in this 100 Questions series, regularly sends me updated lists of questions. I would guess, by the time this series is over, he will have figured out 250-300 questions for me to use as options for this piece.

It's insanely appreciated.

Sometimes, though, I don't want to have to think too hard. These are all good, thought-provoking questions. Sometimes, I want to answer THE easy question.

This, this is what I always thought to be the easy question.

It was probably around day No. 11 I first considered this question, but it was too early in the process to play that card, right?

I needed to get, at least, to the 30s before I defaulted to this one. As I realize we've arrived at the mid-way point, question No. 50, it was time to break this puppy out.

Then I had to think what to write about.

THIS ISN'T THE EASY QUESTION!!!

I figured something out, though.

This may shock you to hear, but I'm a pretty optimistic person. I'd rather talk about positive things, so let's use my 'free day' to talk about why it's an exciting time to be a Kansas State fan.

I'm not even going to really even focus on, you know, the sports.

But, real quick, the two main programs we cover should be easy to be excited about.

Bruce Weber - who's coaching the U19 Team USA squad right now - led the basketball team to his second Big 12 Championship and fifth NCAA Tournament berth of his seven-year stay in Manhattan last season. And, he just signed the best recruiting class - on paper - of his time at K-State, including this guy:

Chris Klieman replaces Bill Snyder after owning the FCS level at North Dakota State. The biggest question about Klieman? His ability to recruit at the Power Five level. All he's done so far (before coaching a single game) is add six scholarship running backs to the roster for the 2019 season and land 12 commitments for 2020. That's the highest number in the Big 12, enough to currently rank around Top 30 nationally and the best start K-State has had to a class, in...

I mean, I don't know.

Are those paragraphs about the football and basketball program somewhat broad, generally over-positive simplifications?

Absolutely, but they're also both accurate.

And, sometimes, it's okay to let things be that simple - and fun - for a moment.

What I selfishly wanted to include, though, is a belief there are a ton of good, talented people covering K-State sports in some manner right now.

I've gone back and forth on whether or not to include names or outlets. Inevitably, when you do that, you're going to leave somebody out you should have mentioned. And probably multiple people.

I'll forget tons out of having too narrow of a focus or simply drawing an inexplicable blank, but I still want to name a few.

I'll start, of course, with a big ol' pat on the back. I think this site - specifically Jeff Martin, Derek Young and Grant Flanders - have completely redefined how you can expect Kansas State's football and men's basketball programs can be covered.

John Kurtz, while a close personal friend and somebody I'm predisposed to praise, is a National/Pro Sports level talent who covers K-State - AND WANTS TO - right in Manhattan.

Kellis Robinett is probably the hardest working person on the beat. I'm not sure I ever see him with any help (no, he didn't put me up to this), but somehow he's always one of the first to write, include video, interact (patiently and sincerely) with fans on Twitter and his mailbags - all on his own. He makes me realize I can work harder.

I have a bias, as well, to Scott and Grant of the Boscoe's Boys, but they've done two very important things with their show:

1. They've torn down the barriers, the belief, you have to be "traditional media" to matter. It didn't matter to Bruce Weber, Chris Klieman or Gene Taylor. Or David Allen. Or Reggie Walker. Or... I could go on.

2. It helps inspire, I believe, others to jump in as well.

I'm not saying these other places followed the Boscoe's - at all, many literally pre-dated them - but you've got another show like the Short Side Option or sites like BringOnTheCats or great Twitter pages like ksu_FAN's, The Kansas State Fan, all run or operated by people who do "other" things for their job.

The more, the merrier. And there are more out there (some of you reading this) capable of doing great things in this forum, too.

There are so many more. Zac Carlson of Go Powercat does fantastic work and gives people an eye to K-State sports. Ryan Black of the Mercury does, too, as a writer and is always working with young writers. Wyatt Thompson and Brian Smoller inspire me, period. Emily Starkey and Jay Moline capture the scenes so many of us unknowingly associate our memories with.

I could, and should, go on and on with more names. I bet there are 30-40 more, easily, who are equally deserving of attention.

This kind of feels unorganized now. But, that's okay, right? I mean, it's my day on the 100 Questions, so it only makes sense.

Ultimately, what I was going for is something simple: It's a good time to be a Kansas State fan, and there are seemingly endless places you can go to read, listen, watch or talk about Wildcat sports.

I think that's good.

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