Kansas
đ Kansas at Big 12 Football Media Day
Kansas Soccer was well-represented on the Massive 12 Soccer Media Days introduced by Outdated Trapper at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Wednesday, because the Jayhawks previewed the 2022 Kansas Soccer season.
The Jayhawks had been represented by head coach Lance Leipold, security Kenny Logan Jr., quarterback Jalon Daniels, operating again Devin Neal and offensive deal with Earl Bostick Jr., who participated in varied media actions all through the day. Kansas defensive deal with Caleb Sampson participated within the Massive 12 Convention Champions for Life program.
Day one of many Massive 12 Media Days included Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and West Virginia. Day two will include Iowa State, Oklahoma, TCU, Texas and Texas Tech with protection obtainable on ESPN+ and ESPNU.
Kansas
When Colorado leaf-peeping season ends, head for Kansas
I grew up in the Midwest, and if thereâs one thing I really miss, itâs the long, drawn-out falls of years past. Here in Colorado, autumn is a blip, a frantic shoulder season that usually includes one nightmarish day stuck in I-70 traffic with my kids, all of us racing to Kenosha Pass, hoping to arrive before the last aspen leaves drop.
Back home, the harvest period is expansive. Authoritative, even. Fall stretches itself out like a lazy cat that wonât budge, and thereâs never any rush to peep the silver and sugar maples, native bur oaks, ash, giant sycamores, American elms and Eastern redbuds, with their bifurcated trunks and leaves as yellow as sunbeams.
Trees are everywhere in the Midwest, so itâs no wonder Nearmap, an aerial technology company, recently ranked one of Denverâs closest capital cities, Topeka, Kan., as one of the top âleafiestâ capitals in the U.S.
Tree canopy shades more than 30% of The Golden City, making it a forest metropolitan, according to Bob Ross of the Greater Topeka Partnership. Early settlers gave Topeka its nickname upon observing its sunlit rolling hills and autumn elms. Mother Nature doesnât feel rushed in Kansas: Glimmering leaves can glow into Thanksgiving, in a fierce rainbow of red, deep orange, gold, lingering green, purple and rich brown.
Bright days and cool nights seem to bring out the best colors, and according to a 2024 fall foliage prediction map created by Smoky Mountains National Park, smokymountains.com, the northern half of Kansas will begin to see leaves change in early to mid-October. Full peak is expected between Oct. 30 and Nov. 6, with a partial peak happening the week before. Leaves should continue popping well into November. For families and budget travelers â or any Coloradans who just canât resist a bonus round of leaf peeping â Topeka is only a road trip away.
Hereâs the first thing I really want you to know: Topeka has one 4-star boutique hotel, the Cyrus Hotel, 920 S. Kansas Ave., a Marriott property in the heart of downtown with views of the Kansas Capitol Dome. Rooms start at about $189 a night, and I donât think I have to tell any Denverites that this is a screeching good deal for luxury rooms and service.
âIf thatâs too much, thereâs always â â Ross begins. I try to stop him right there, but heâs insistent. Two even more affordable Topeka lodging options are the SpringHill Suites Topeka Southwest, 2745 SW Fairlawn Road, and the Hilton Garden Inn, 1351 SW Arvonia Place.
In addition to offering upscale accommodations, the Cyrusâ lobby, with its high ceilings and modern aesthetic, opens to a variety of restaurants and bars, all plotted along South Kansas Avenue, Topekaâs main street, running from the Kansas River to the turnpike. A few suggestions for meals within walking distance of this hotel include Iron Rail, 705 S. Kansas Ave.; The Celtic Fox, 118 SW Eighth Ave.; Brew Bank, 822 S. Kansas Ave.; The White Linen, 112 SW Sixth Ave., with its compact, chef-driven menu; and a new wine and champagne bar, Royal Society, 913 S. Kansas Ave.
Topeka is ready for its close-up. Over the last decade, the city has invested about $500 million in its historic downtown district, Ross tells me. Evergy (not a typo) Plaza, 630 S. Kansas Ave., opened in 2020, and this newish public venue, complete with interactive fountains and a firepit, offers 400 events a year, including a free concert series on Thursdays, Friday night movie screening (April through October), and regular cultural events, including Fiesta Topeka in July and India Mela in August. On Oct. 19, Evergy Plaza hosts its Outset event, with trick-or-treating, live music and vendors.
There are plenty of ways to experience fall colors in Kansas, but for active Coloradans, hiking stands out as a familiar and enjoyable option. Start your adventure by climbing 296 steps at the Kansas Capitol Dome, 300 SW 10th Ave., where tourists gain a birdâs-eye view of the townâs forests. Free tours take guests to the peak of the dome. Walk outside onto the cupola to see up to 20 miles in any direction. Fun fact: The Kansas Statehouse is the only U.S. capitol building where guests can go up to the top of the dome and walk along the outside balcony.
From here, itâs a 1.5-mile drive to Ward-Meade Historic Site, 124 NW Fillmore St., one of the best places in town to see fall colors. Park in the lot off NW Clay Street, and start your day by strolling through history at Old Prairie Town. The 1800s village is part of a 6-acre historic site that includes the Ward-Meade mansion, a national historic landmark and a 2.5-acre botanic garden shaded by a variety of trees. Paved trails take walkers through several distinct zones, including a national conifer reference garden.
A few minutes past Ward Meade Historic Park, thereâs Gage Park, 635 SW Gage Blvd., a great place for families to enjoy the colors while riding on a historic mini-train or taking a spin on the Herschell-Spillman carousel (circa 1908). Youâll find the inexpensive Topeka Zoo on the northeast corner of Gage Park â a destination for kid-approved leaf peeping. If youâre vying for caregiver of the year, check out the Kansas Childrenâs Discovery Center, 4400 SW 10th Ave., which maintains an incredible outdoor space for curious young guests.
Continue west to MacLennan Park, SW Fairlawn and Cedar Crest Drive, in northwest Topeka. There are multiple places to park, including along Sixth Street, just west of Fairlawn Road. Iâd recommend starting up north, though, near the Governorâs Mansion, aka Cedar Crest, a castle-like estate built on a 244-acre wildlife refuge overlooking the Kansas River.
Youâll see some spectacular color from the moment you step out of your vehicle. From here, hikers gain access to the Cedar Crest, Governorâs Mansion and MacLennan trails, offering miles of looping dirt and limestone singletrack that drop you into the colorful timber. The terrain is mild by Colorado hiking standards, but still enjoyable and drop-dead gorgeous this time of the year. Since the Kansas River is currently experiencing low water levels, itâs possible to walk onto the riverbed and explore the sandbars.
While youâre on this side of town, continue down SW Sixth Avenue to reach the Kansas Museum of History, 6425 SW Sixth Ave. The museum is currently closed to the public through January as it undergoes a major redevelopment. But the building sits on an 80-acre lot featuring a modest, absolutely lovely trail system bypassing the historic one-room Stach School from 1877.
Youâll have to drive across town to reach the Ted Ensley Gardens, 3650 SE West Edge Road, a 37-plus-acre free botanical garden featuring panoramic views of Lake Shawnee. With more than 450 trees in its arboretum, including 87 varieties rare to Kansas, itâs hard to image a better place to stroll through fall foliage. Golfers can do their leaf peeping from the links since the Lake Shawnee Golf Course, 4141 SE East Edge Road, is surrounded by trees. Cyclists, meanwhile, might want to enjoy the colors from the Shunga Trail, an 8.5-mile concrete path beginning at SW 29th and SW McClure, continuing to the Deer Creek Trail, which offers another 3.7 miles of riding in East Topeka.
If youâre up for a side trip, Echo Cliff Park, 24927 Echo Cliff Road, located near Dover, Kansas, is only about 30 minutes west of Topeka. You wonât regret the stunning country drive to the siteâs 50-foot cliffs. For a taste of Kansas, picnickers can grab a sandwich or salad at Somerset Hall CafĂ©, 5701 SW Douglas Road, open daily until 2 p.m. Housed in a canât-miss-it white building that opened as the Sage General Store in the late 1800s, the homestyle restaurant dishes up one of the best pies in America, Iâm told. You can also order chicken fried steak, and youâre in the Midwest, so why not?
About 30 miles east of Topeka, the college town of Lawrence is another fun pit stop. Grab lunch at one of the many restaurants lining Massachusetts Street before renting a SUP or kayak for some leaf-peeping on the river. Great Blue Heron Outdoors, 823 Massachusetts St., is a reputable local outfitter.
In Colorado, fall isnât quite complete without a little agritourism, and Topeka has that base covered, too. Located off Highway 24, between Topeka and Lawrence, Garyâs Farm, 5991 17th St., Grantville, runs its annual Fall Festival through October. There are more than 30 attractions to explore on the farm, including a pumpkin patch, corn maze and petting zoo, to name just a few.
The Maple Leaf Festival, held on Oct. 19 and 20 in the nearby town of Baldwin City â which looks like something straight out of a Hallmark movie â is another seasonal offering with more than 300 craft exhibits, quilt shows and displays, performing arts, music and activities.
What are you waiting for? Grab the car keys, and donât believe for one second that leaf season is nearly over.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, In The Know, to get entertainment news sent straight to your inbox.
Kansas
David MartĂnez and Denis Bouanga power LAFC past Kansas City
Teenage rookie David MartĂnez scored early, Denis Bouanga had two assists and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris earned his league-leading 14th shutout of the season as LAFC breezed to a 3-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City on Saturday night.
MartĂnez took a pass from Denis Bouanga in the 14th minute and scored for the fourth time this season to give LAFC (17-8-7) the lead for good. MartĂnez was making his third start and 15th appearance.
Cristian Olivera found the net for the sixth time, scoring in the first minute of stoppage time to give LAFC a two-goal advantage at halftime. Bouanga notched his career-high 11th assist of the campaign on the goal, and Timothy Tillman added his career-best sixth.
Defender Aaron Long found the net in the 69th minute to complete the scoring. It was Longâs first goal since he scored four for the New York Red Bulls in 2022. Fellow defender Eddie Segura snagged his first assist this season and his first since he had two for the club in 2021.
Lloris totaled four saves in his shutout effort for LAFC.
Tim Melia saved one shot for Sporting KC (8-18-7).
LAFC will travel to play the Vancouver Whitecaps next Saturday before hosting the San Jose Earthquakes for a Decision Day match on Oct. 19 to close out the regular season.
Sporting KC will end its season with a road match against FC Dallas on Oct. 19.
Kansas
Kansas City Royals Starting Pitcher Set to Make Unusual History in ALDS Start
The Kansas City Royals are opening up the American League Division Series on Saturday night against the New York Yankees.
Games 1 and 2 will be played in New York with first pitch Saturday coming at 6:38 p.m. ET. The Yankees won the American League East, earned the first-round bye and got the No. 1 seed in the American League playoffs. The Royals won the wild card series against the Baltimore Orioles in two games.
Gerrit Cole will take the ball for the Yankees in Game 1 while Michael Wacha toes the rubber for Kansas City. The Royals likely would have preferred to start Cole Ragans or Seth Lugo, but they each pitched in the wild card round. Ragans will pitch in Game 2.
According to Sarah Langs of MLB.com, Wacha will join some rare baseball history with his start.
Longest Span Between Postseason Starts â Wild Card Era
10/7/2006 – 10/20/2015 Chris Young: 9y, 13d
10/6/2007 – 10/9/2016 Rich Hill: 9y, 3d
10/3/2008 – 10/3/2017 Ervin Santana: 9y
10/12/2015 – 10/5/2024 Michael Wacha: 8y, 359d
h/t @MLBNetwork research squad
 Wacha was signed this past offseason after spending the 2023 season with the San Diego Padres. His signing was part of the Royals going from a 56-win team to a playoff team in just one offseason.
He went 13-8 with a 3.35 ERA this year, striking out 145 batters in 166.2 innings. Lifetime, he’s in the 12th year of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox, Padres and Royals. He’s gone 101-62 with a 3.89 ERA and helped the Cardinals get to the World Series in 2013.
Continue to follow our Fastball On SI coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.
-
Technology4 days ago
Charter will offer Peacock for free with some cable subscriptions next year
-
World3 days ago
Ukrainian stronghold Vuhledar falls to Russian offensive after two years of bombardment
-
World3 days ago
WikiLeaksâ Julian Assange says he pleaded âguilty to journalismâ in order to be freed
-
Technology3 days ago
Beware of fraudsters posing as government officials trying to steal your cash
-
Virginia5 days ago
Status for Daniels and Green still uncertain for this week against Virginia Tech; Reuben done for season
-
Sports2 days ago
Freddie Freeman says his ankle sprain is worst injury he's ever tried to play through
-
Health23 hours ago
Health, happiness and helping others are vital parts of free and responsible society, Founding Fathers taught
-
News24 hours ago
Lebanon says 50 medics killed in past three days as Israel extends its bombardment