The Sunflower Showdown was last night in Kansas. That’s when Kansas and Kansas State play each other, and when all the sunflowers are on the line, things can get mighty hot and heavy.
Demonstrating this for ESPN’s Big Monday audience was Nake Bukaty, a Kansas City broadcaster who co-hosts a show on Sports Radio 810, is a commentator for Sporting KC, and a correspondent for MLB Network. Bukaty was attending Monday’s game as a fan — a big fan, as you can see.
That’s K-State’s Xavier Sneed, who had just crashed into the table there. The reaction to this moment split predictably along party lines, with Kansas State fans telling Bukaty he should lose his job and — in at least one case — his wife while Kansas fans didn’t see what the big deal was.
Local media personalities mostly made light of the incident, with Bukaty getting a taste of his own medicine on this morning’s show.
And that’s all well and good. The rivalry got a little hotter last night, and that makes things fun. But more importantly, sports got a new meme template that could hardly be better.
Kansas won, 64-49, and Bukaty apologized.
