Let's Talk Sports with Kevin Brown

Issue # 29 about the KSU basketball job search is now available at letstalksportswithkevinbrown.com.

Where Will KSU Turn For Its Next Basketball Coach?
Issue # 29, March 11, 2022

Now that Kansas State University Mens Basketball Coach has resigned – as many “experts” predicted would happen if he wasn’t fired – the question becomes who will be the next coach for the Wildcats? There are a number of good candidates, many with ties to KSU, and after the lack of success in the last three years this will be an important decision for Athletic Director Gene Taylor. He certainly hit a home run with football coach Chris Klieman (to mix my sports metaphors), and Wildcat fans hope he will do the same with his choice to run the basketball program.

An obvious favorite for the position is current Illinois coach Brad Underwood, a McPherson, Kansas, product who played at KSU and then spent six years as an assistant coach there under Bob Huggins and Frank Martin. He was even Associate Head Coach in 2011-2012 before following Martin to South Carolina in the same position before starting his head coaching career at Stephen F. Austin in 2013. He remained there for three seasons before spending one year at Oklahoma State University then on to Illinois for the last five years and he has a cumulative record of 202 wins and 92 losses in nine seasons. (NOTE: His record includes today’s loss vs. Indiana.)

Underwood has everything you want in a head coach: He’s been successful at every stop on his coaching journey; he’s a proven recruiter; his teams play hard every game; and, he knows the Big 12 and what it takes to win in the conference. Reportedly, he also “bleeds purple”, a characteristic that would endear him to Wildcat fans. He would be the perfect hire, but can KSU actually get a deal? Illinois is a top basketball program; Underwood’s team this season is a national contender; and, his future recruiting classes are top-notch at # 24 for next year and # 18 for 2023-2024. Money will also be a factor as he currently makes $4.1 million per year (compared to Weber’s $2.9 million), plus his contract with Illinois calls for buyout payments of $2 million per year for 4 years. There isn’t anything there that couldn’t be overcome, but it seems like a lot to give up for both Underwood and KSU.

So, if not Underwood, who then? Other names being talked about include former Maryland coach Mark Turgeon, who played at Kansas University; former Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall; Dana Ford, an assistant for Marshall at WSU who is now the head coach of up-and-coming Missouri State; and Mark Fox, a Garden City native who is the head coach at California and was an assistant at KSU for a number of years. All of these candidates have ties to Kansas, but I don’t see any of them being selected for the position. Turgeon will be a hot commodity in the upcoming coaching carousel and I can’t imagine him wanting to go against KU; Marshall would be good fit, but his fall-out at WSU is a concern; with what Ford has done in Missouri State I don’t see him leaving there – yet; and while Fox might be a popular pick he hasn’t done that well in recruiting in quality areas like California and Georgia, which wouldn’t bode well for being in Manhattan.

More likely, I believe KSU will pick someone who isn’t coaching at a Power Five conference, like some other coaches who have been mentioned in the speculation. Someone like Grant McCasland at North Texas; Niko Medved at Colorado State; or, Darian Devries at Drake – who might even bring along his freshman son, Tucker. He’s a 6’7” guard who averaged 13.9 points per game this season. One name I’m not hearing and I want to bring up is Kevin Kruger, the first-year head coach at UNLV. Not only does he have KSU ties (his father is former star and head coach Lon Kruger), but he was on his father’s coaching staff at UNLV and Oklahoma. He would fit with everything KSU is looking for, and probably wouldn’t be anywhere near as costly as Underwood.

Whatever direction Taylor goes, this is an important hire. While Weber did have some success at KSU, it just hasn’t been to the levels expected there. KSU can be the right job for the right person and a future with the Wildcats as a perennial title contender and NCAA tournament participant are on the line. I have confidence that Taylor will make the right hire, but if he doesn’t I guarantee you KSU won’t wait ten years to start the search all over again.

McPherson High School Basketball: 22 Championships and Counting
Issue # 28, January 31, 2022

McPherson, Kansas, has always been a basketball town. Many great athletes have come through the school district there and every boys and girls sport offered has had their share of success, but year-in and year-out, basketball is king. This coming Friday when the Bullpup basketball teams host the Derby Panthers, McPherson High School (MHS) is going to show everyone just how much of a basketball town it is when they honor every State Championship team in its history, which totals 13 boys and 9 girls titles.

MHS has had teams play in the state tournament as far back as 1918, but the championships didn’t begin until 1972 for the boys and 1981 for the girls, although it should be noted that the KSHSAA didn’t start the girls tournament until the 1972-73 school year. I was fortunate to have been a starter for the 1972 team that won McPherson’s first title, but having grown up there I’m still amazed at the number of really good teams that didn’t win a championship. The Bullpups took second place in 1965, 1967, and 1969, with each team losing to Kansas City Wyandotte, and the 1971 team might have been as good or better as any team that came before them and they didn’t even make it to State. They lost in the Sub-State finals to a Salina Central team that not only took first place that year but had all 5 starters go on to play college basketball.

Everything changed in 1972 when our 11-8 team remembered how well we started the season and turned our year around. We didn’t have the best players in MHS history, but I would argue that we were the best McPherson “team” ever because that was the only way we were going to be successful. Going in as the #6 seeded team, we knocked off #3 Coffeyville, #2 Salina Central, and #5 Garden City to claim the title, and after that MHS has been a regular force at the State level as the 13 first-place trophies would attest. In fact, McPherson’s boys titles are second all-time in all classes to KC-Wyandotte who has 20 championships, but none since 1998. Over that same period of time, the MHS boys have added five first-place finishes. The girls teams have been just as successful after their first championship in 1981 with their most recent title in 2018. They were also in the semi-finals in 2019 that were canceled during the original COVIC-19 pandemic, costing them a potential 10th banner.

I haven’t been back to a game at the Roundhouse for many years and I am really excited to be there. Not only am I looking forward to seeing my team-mates, but I’m anxious to see the many names and faces that have gone down in Bullpup lore. Unfortunately, there will be a few people who won’t be there, such as Brad Underwood, who is now the head coach at the University of Illinois; Steve Henson, the head coach for the University of Texas at San Antonio; and, the architect of all these championships, Jay Frazier, the Hall of Fame coach who passed away many years ago.

I may have buried the lead here, but the significance of having this celebration in 2022 is to celebrate the 50 years of championship teams that started with our underdog win in 1972. I am proud to be a Bullpup and a graduate of MHS, and I’m equally proud of the ongoing success the basketball programs have had over the years. I don’t know how many games I will see McPherson play in the future, but I have no doubt that when they celebrate the state championship teams at the 100th anniversary of our title in 2072, many, many more championship teams will be represented. After all, when you’re a basketball town, that’s what you do.

Issue # 28 about the basketball championships won by McPherson High School is now available to read at letstalksportswithkevinbrown.com

How Will The Chiefs-Bill Game Be Remembered In History?
Issue # 27, January 26, 2022

Unless you were hiding under a rock or avoiding all social media last weekend, you know the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional Playoffs 42-36 in overtime and the resulting fanfare opened up a vigorous debate on two separate topics. One, was the game the best playoff game of all time; and two, should the NFL postseason overtime rules be changed to ensure that both teams have an opportunity to score? There’s no doubt the game was an all-time classic, but what will it really be remembered for down the road?

Winning Super Bowl championships in 1970 and 2020 will always be at the top of any Chiefs’ fans most memorable games, but Sunday’s victory may long be considered the best playoff game in the history of Kansas City. Bills supporters might have considered that to be their best game of all time if they had won; especially since they’ve never won a Super Bowl, but history being what it is clearly puts the Chiefs and Bills fans on opposite sides of the question. That only leaves the rest of the nation to speculate about.

I’ve seen a lot of lists and commentary about where the games ranks, and it’s not just the Chiefs kingdom that considers it one of the greatest games ever; virtually every ranking I have seen puts it in the top 5 and as high as #2. Now, there are going to be old-timers (yeah, yeah, like me) who will throw out games from their youth as being better. But the consensus game I mostly see noted as #1 is the 1981 Dallas vs. San Francisco thriller known for “The Catch” by Dwight Clark (from Joe Montana) that lifted the 49ers to the Super Bowl title over the Cowboys. I admit that was one of my favorite games ever, but neither that game or the Chiefs two Super Bowl wins were better games than what we witnessed on Sunday. The Chiefs Super Bowl wins, plus any more in the future (please, please, . . . ) will always be at the top of my list, but when it comes to best playoff game ever, well, we saw it just the other day!
As compelling as the greatest game discussion was, the overtime debate was even more passionate. Yes, the Chiefs won the toss and scored a touchdown to win the game. They did what they needed to do. The same rules have been in play for a long time; long enough for eleven overtime playoff games to have been played under these rules and yes, the team that won the coin toss has won 10 of them. One of which was the New England Patriots beating the Chiefs in 2019; and Kansas City never got to have the ball and play offense either. Every time it happens that way there’s an uproar about the rules, but the NFL hasn’t ever seen fit to change it. Fact is, when the Chiefs suggested a reform of the overtime rules after the overtime loss in 2019, it never even came to a vote. And yes, one of the teams that voted against the proposal was the Buffalo Bills. So, despite the commotion of the fans, it really is what the NFL has always wanted it to be.

Now however, there’s a push abroad that the NFL may not be able to easily dismiss, possibly because the Chiefs-Bills game was one of the most highly watched games from the past few years. And it might surprise the NFL to know, but it’s clear that the vast majority of NFL fans want one specific rule change to overtime; guaranteeing that each team gets to have the ball at least one time. And quite frankly, it would be a simple fix.

Here it is: give both teams one opportunity to have the ball. If the game is still tied after that, continue playing until the next team scores, however long that may be. To facilitate the length of time that might be needed, the overtime should just be a continuation of the regular game, without half-time. Fifteen minute quarters; switch ends the end of 15:00 for the second quarter; kick-off by the team that won the first toss if a third quarter is necessary; switch ends again at the end of 15:00 for the fourth quarter; and repeat the whole thing again as needed. It is highly unlikely that ANY overtime playoff game would last much more than into the second overtime quarter, but this would be a way to ensure that a winner would eventually be determined. And it would eliminate the criticism of a team winning the game because they were the only ones who had the ball and played offense.

There’s only one argument that I believe could be used to counter this proposal, and it’s a doozy; player safety. The longer a game goes on, the higher the possibility of injury and that can’t be ignored. But this is a situation that would only happen during the playoffs with a minimum number of games and again, few if any games would ever reach that point. There are numerous other suggestions being floated around and some would be better than the current rules while others wouldn’t. The optimist in me thinks this may be the year that something is finally done, but the pessimist persuasion in my persona understands how much the NFL likes the status quo. If the Chiefs-Bills game ends up bringing about a change in the overtime rules, well, that would be a wonderful asterisk to an incredible game; as well as a fitting tribute to the best playoff game ever (in my opinion). Only time will tell, but if I were a betting man, I would bet we will be revisiting this controversy again very soon.



how will it to be remembered?

Issue # 27 about the Kansas City Chiefs game vs.
Buffalo is now available to read at letstalksportswithkevinbrown.com

Will The Real Kansas City Royals Step Up?

Issue # 25, June 14, 2021

It’s been since 2017 that the Kansas City Royals were in contention for a playoff spot, finishing in 3rd place in the Central Division with an 80-82 record and 5 games back of the last team to make the playoffs that year, the Minnesota Twins. Many experts picked the Royals to be in that competition this year, and 64 games into the season, Kansas City is again only 5 games back but there are 6 teams they would have to overtake before getting there. With 98 games left, there is still time; but is that a realistic goal for the Royals this season?
There’s no question that the Royals are much improved from their dismal 100+ loss records in 2018 and 2019 and building on the respectable 26-34 record in last year’s pandemic-shortened season. In fact, it was impressive how well they did considering 40 of their 60 games were against the three Central Division teams that finished ahead of Kansas City and made the expanded MBL playoffs. So far, the Royals are a little ahead of last year’s pace, but their inconsistent play has many people, including me, asking which version is the real KC Royals team. Here’s why: After 25 games, the Royals were 16-9 and had the best record in all of MLB, then lost 11 straight. They rebounded from that by winning 13 of 19 before the next streak where they lost 8 of 9 including 6 out of 7 on the latest road trip against the Los Angeles Angels and the Oakland A’s.
I watch most, if not all of the Royals games and I believe that part of the problem is a lack of major league talent on the everyday Kansas City roster. The top of the order as a group (hitters 1-4) has been mostly good and the only place in the line-up that has had any consistency at all. Whit Merrifield is hitting for a lower batting average than in the past but he still gets on base regularly and has driven in more runs than anyone except power hitters Salvador Perez and Carlos Santana. Perez is among the league leaders in home runs and is also the team leader in batting average at .285, which would be his career best. Santana and Andrew Benitendi have been pleasant surprises after coming to Kansas City in trade; both of which look good on the resume of general manager Dayton Moore. Michael Taylor also was a good addition, and while he is batting father down in the order, his batting average is currently higher than he has every hit before and his defense in center field has been at a Gold Glove level.
After that, things are much more unsettled. Jorge Soler and Hunter Dozier have to be among the biggest disappointments not only for the Royals, but in all of baseball. Soler, the record holder for home runs in a single season for KC (48) only has 6 at this time and is batting below the Mendoza line at .178. Dozier has an even worse average (.160) although he does have more home runs than Soler while being on the injured list for awhile. These two players regularly hit 5th and 6th in the order, and if that’s the best they can do, then the Royals are in serious trouble. It doesn’t appear that the Royals have anyone in the farm system ready to perform at the major league level in their place, but how long can they afford to continue putting such epic non-producers in the lineup and seriously expect to contend for the playoffs? And would it be worth trading high value minor-leaguers for some hitters who might or might not get the job done?
As for the lower part of the order, they have had their ups and downs but the expectations there are much lower. In addition to Taylor, the bottom of the order mostly comes from a group that includes Kelvin Guiterrez, Hansel Alberto, and Nikki Lopez, along with Jarrod Dyson on occasion. Guiterrez, Alberto, and Dyson all have batting averages in the mid .250’s, but very few runs batted in (RBI), while Lopez has done better than expected considering he wasn’t even supposed to be on the team with Aldaberto Mondesi coming back. Speaking of Mondesi, I think he is the key to the rest of the season. If – and when – he comes back I hope the offense kicks it up a notch like it did when he first came off the injured list. That was during the 13 wins in 19 games stretch, and not coincidentally the following losing streak began when he was injured again.
For the most part, the Royals pitching staff has been effective and for the most part, again, I believe they will continue to improve. The starting pitchers are going well with Brad Keller back in form, Mike Minor developing into a lead pitcher, and rookies Brady Singer and Kris Bubic showing that they belong at the major league level. When Danny Duffy returns and hopefully picks up where he left off, the rotation is solid. Right now though, the fifth spot is a disaster with Daniel Lynch and Jacksow Kowar getting hammered EVERY time they pitch. A team with playoff aspirations can’t afford to take an automatic loss every fifth day, but that’s what is happening with Lynch and Kowar. Lynch was returned to the minor leagues and Kowar has to join him soon or the Royals are in trouble. They had a chance, but Kansas City simply can’t afford to keep them in the rotation now. Fortunately, they already have a pitcher on the roster who has proved he can get major league hitters out over extended innings, Ronald Bolanos.
Kansas City’s relief pitchers have also been very good this year, with a couple of notable exceptions. Scott Barlow (1.95 earned run average, ERA), Jake Brentz (1,82), Josh Staumont (3.16), Ervin Santana (3.55), Kyle Zimmer (2.22), Greg Holland (3.42), and Bolanos (1.42) have done everything asked of them and more, but Jacob Junis (5.19) and Wade Davis (8.34) have struggled. Junis is back in the minor leagues and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him back in the majors and doing well in the future. Davis, however, needs to be released. While Davis has a storied history with the Royals, he just doesn’t have what it takes at this point and Kansas City can’t afford to pitch a reliever in close games who always gives up hits and runs, and often in the form of home runs. He deserves a great send-off from the Royals and their fans, but he simply can’t pitch at this level anymore.
So, what can we realistically expect from the Royals for the rest of this season? Like I mentioned before, I believe that Mondesi’s return is the key to what the Royals do, and his presence in the line-up is a must if the Royals are going to seriously contend for the post-season. If he comes back and stays healthy, then hits like he did during the last Royals winning streak that will add some needed offense to the batting order. If Soler and Dozier can also regain their form, then all of a sudden the Royals would have a formidable batting line-up. And if Duffy comes back and performs like he did at an All-Star level and Davis is sent packing, then the pitching is definitely playoff caliber. On the down side, their division is tough; they have to overtake a number of good teams ahead of them in the standings; and it’s unclear if the Royals management is willing to trade off any of their top minor league talent to get some better players in the everyday line-up. I hope they will make every effort to make the play-offs, but whether they do or they don’t, one thing is clear: The Kansas City Royals are moving in the right direction after several down years. And while it remains to be seen which Royals team we will see the rest of the year, it’s just fun that for the first time in a number of years we at least have the possibility of rooting for a good Kansas City baseball team. It’s about time.

Issue # 25 about the Kansas City Royals is now available at letstalksportswithkevinbrown.com.

The NCAA Always Finds A Way To Disappoint

Issue # 24, June 7, 2021

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium as the second NCAA second World Series semi-final softball game between the University of Alabama and Florida State University got underway; and then the stormy weather began. That in itself wasn’t surprising since we seem to endure this “monsoon” season every spring, but what happened next was almost inconceivable.

Now, before expanding on that, let me point out two things about the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA): first, they host 90 national championships each year, many of which are must-see throughout the nation; for example, the College Football Playoff (CFP) and “March Madness”, the NCAA basketball tournament. Second, they always seem to make decisions that are often questionable and/or controversial. Among other recent examples were the discrepancies in weight rooms during the Division I basketball tournament this past spring and the ongoing mismanagement of the fight of amateurism vs. paying college students while playing college athletics. For purposes of this article, it doesn’t matter which side of the argument you are on, there’s just no disputing that the NCAA regularly makes decisions that make no sense.

So, back to last Sunday when Pam and I made a “must-do” trip (somewhat like a bucket list) to Oklahoma City for the Women’s College World Series (WCWS). It was a tremendous atmosphere as Oklahoma and James Madison met for the second time at the WCWS, and the game was everything any fan could hope for; an exciting 6-3 Sooner victory that wasn’t settled until the tying run at the plate made the last out. But shortly after that, the weather deteriorated and eventually lightning forced a suspension of the next game; and – get this – the complete evacuation of the stadium.

I am not an expert on severe weather, but somehow I don’t think that forcing about 13,000 people to leave the relative safety of the stands is a good policy. Many of the fans, hoping the game would resume shortly, remained in covered areas of the stadium but were aggressively evicted and ended up with one of three options. One, if they paid $20 for parking in the Hall of Fame parking lot, they could reasonably get into their car quickly. Two, they could wait in line for the shuttle buses (who did an outstanding job transporting the fans) to take them back to the pick-up spot in the Re*****on Park parking lot before returning to their cars. This is what we did and we were lucky that we didn’t have to stay out in the elements too long. Third, they could walk the approximate mile to the Re*****on Park parking lot completely at the mercy of the elements.

I’m sure the NCAA has a reasonable explanation for their policy to evacuate the stadium; but I am equally sure I would disagree with whatever premise their plan was based on. Here’s why: if you are hosting an event of this size, one of the factors you have to consider is the safety of everyone who is there. By making everyone leave the facility, the NCAA literally put thousands of fans at risk of being hit by lightning. I estimated they were at least a thousand people in-line waiting for the buses and many, many more walking, but until they got into their cars they were in danger of being hit by lightning, which was very much all over the area.

To the best of my knowledge, I don’t believe anyone was struck by lightning there, but just for a minute let’s assume they did. If that would happen to one of my family members, I’m sure I could find a lawyer who would make the case that the NCAA was responsible and at-fault for their injury or death. There were hundreds if not thousands of witnesses who heard and saw the facility personnel MAKE everyone leave the premises and turn them loose to fend for themselves. The word “negligence” comes to mind, and I can’t see that the NCAA would have any legal leg to stand on in those circumstances. Thank goodness nothing happened; this time.

By no means do we expect that this will be the last time we make the trip to the WCWS, but we certainly will make some adjustments. For one, we will arrive very early to make sure we can park in the USA Softball Hall of Fame parking lot; and for another we will buy seats where we can leave quickly if forced out by mother nature and the event staff. Hopefully, the NCAA will also make some changes to their weather policy because their current plan leaves a lot to be desired. I’m pretty sure that would be a lot less painful for everyone concerned than a lawsuit being filed because a fan was hit by lightning; and, for absolutely no reason. It would be a shame if that was what it took to get anything changed.

Issue # 24 about the ongoing disappointments of the NCAA is now available to read at letstalksportswithkevinbrown.com.

The End Of An Era At Sublette USD # 374

Issue # 23, May 12, 2021

Next Sunday, May 16, a reception will be held for seven outstanding educators who are retiring and finishing their careers at Sublette USD # 374 after a total of 255 combined years in teaching and administration. Those being honored at the ceremony include Paul Trigg (43 years), Monty Marlin (41 years), Ellen Marlin (41 years), Bernie Leverett (39 years), Sally Bruce (33 years), Mikelyn Holloway (30 years), and Kit Griffin (28 years). All of them have been active in athletics through coaching, working and helping their students/athletes, and/or supporting their own kids, but three of them have spent many years successfully helping young people grow into the good citizens that we all strive to have a part in developing. Paul Trigg and my good buddy Bernie Leverett have coached many sports over the years as both head and assistant coaches, but my mentor and long-time friend Monty Marlin is a legend in southwest Kansas and I want to share a few of the many, many stories that are told about him.
In one of the first years I was coaching with Monty at Sublette, we were playing in what is now called the “Varsity” gym, when he had an interesting exchange with John Doll, a respected coach, official, and now a State Senator in the Kansas legislature. At one point in the game, Monty took exception with a call and commented to Doll that he “didn’t really like that call.” Doll, who was standing just in front of him on the court, paused for a second, looked at Marlin, then took the whistle out of his mouth and replied, “frankly Monty, I didn’t care much for it myself.” Monty just stood there for a minute while the game resumed and then sat down, the only time in 13 years as his assistant that I saw Monty at a loss for words. Really, what else could he say?
Another story occurred in the week leading up to Sub-State in 2004-05 when Monty’s son, Jason, was a senior and my son, Kyle, was a freshman. At the end of the regular season, we always offered everyone on the team the opportunity to practice with the Varsity for one last week and that year, Kyle and his freshmen team-mates made the decision to do just that. One day that week, Monty was working the Varsity team on playing “in your face” man-to-man defense while the freshmen boys played offense and in one possession Kyle took and made a 3-pointer about three steps beyond the 3-point line, an area where the success of that shot is usually unexpected. Monty immediately got after Jason for leaving Kyle open and his response was that “Kyle was too far out.” After looking at Jason for a few seconds, he turned to Kyle and said “I’m sorry Kyle, your shot doesn’t count because Jason says it was too far out.” Now all the players except Jason are laughing (quietly), but the point was made; if you’re going to cover your man you have to do it aggressively and without excuses. Monty used numerous methods to get his coaching points across to his players, and humor was one of the ways he often reminded them of what he expected!
This last story is hard to pinpoint where it began but it became a running joke within the Sublette boys basketball team and one that I took with me when I coached at other schools throughout the State. At some point, after Monty put in a substitute who immediately scored; or called a play that worked; or changed a defense that stopped our opponent, Monty looked at the assistant coaches and players on the bench and said “That’s just good coaching!” From then on, any time one of those positive plays occurred one of the assistants or one of the players would repeat the phrase. I continued using that comment for all the years I coached after leaving Sublette and I never tired of saying it or hearing one of my assistants or players shout it out first. And every time I said or heard that, it reminded me of Monty and those wonderful years together at Sublette.
With Monty’s retirement, it truly is an end of an era at Sublette. While he hasn’t coached since taking over as principal a few years ago, his fingerprints are all over the athletic programs in USD # 374, and will be for many years to come. Not many people realize it, but Monty won over 300 high school boys basketball games in his coaching career and a quite a few more when he was coaching his daughter, Katelyn, and the girls team at Sublette High School. He also led the Larks to the 1994-95 2A State Championship and numerous other appearances at the state basketball tournaments. A secondary reason why I wrote this article is that I believe Monty should be in the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association (KBCA) Hall of Fame and I am hoping that someone who is a member of the KBCA will pursue it. Everyone in southwest Kansas knows Monty and the impact he has had on basketball in that part of the state, and no one deserves this honor more than he does. If and when it happens, I guarantee you I will be there to support the best basketball coach I have ever known, and a friendship that has endured over the years and miles between! It may be the end of an era Monty, but the era won’t be forgotten!