A Tour of Celebration
May 17, 2023 | Sports Extra, Athletics
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Wyatt Thompson is ready. Thompson will embark upon his 21st summer as emcee for the annual Catbacker Tour, which gets underway when Kansas State coaches and student-athletes visit Salina, Great Bend and Scott City on Wednesday.
The Catbacker Tour will hit 16 cities and towns across the state of Kansas over the next two weeks.
"It's a total celebration," Thompson says. "From the beginning, the concept was this was our way of going out and thanking our fans for coming here six or seven times in the fall and multiple times during the basketball season. Simple as that.
"It's always an exciting time for K-State athletics."
Thompson was inducted into the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame on October 23, 2022. He was named 2022 Kansas Sportscaster of the Year for a seventh time as well.
In addition to his play-by-play duties for K-State football and men's basketball, Thompson enjoys helping lead the charge in firing up attendees at Catbacker events across the state. The Catbacker Tour serves as a mini pep rally with comments from coaches and student-athletes, and appearances by Willie Wildcat and the K-State cheerleaders.
"I just appreciate the effort of the Catbacker presidents, all of those committee members that do so much behind the scenes that nobody ever sees, you know?" Thompson says. "It takes a lot to put on a good event, and they do it because they love it, and they love everything about this place, and, frankly, what we've accomplished over the years, I think they just appreciate the blue-collar K-State. They work hard and we work hard and do it right."
After the Catbacker Tour stops in Salina, Great Bend and Scott City on Wednesday, it will continue with Liberal, Garden City and Dodge City on Thursday, and week one will conclude with Colby and Hays on Friday.
On Monday, the Catbacker Tour stops in Manhattan, then it visits Hutchinson and Wichita on Tuesday, and visits Chanute, Emporia and Kansas City on Wednesday. The tour wraps up with events in Seneca and Topeka next Thursday.
Thompson discussed the passion of K-State Catbackers Clubs and some of his favorite memories touring the state in a Q&A with K-State Sports Extra's D. Scott Fritchen:
D. SCOTT FRITCHEN: What is one thing everyone should know about Catbackers?
WYATT THOMPSON: Probably the easy and simple answer is just how passionate the people are about Kansas State. It's a total celebration. From the beginning, the concept was this was our way of going out and thanking our fans for coming here six or seven times in the fall and multiple times during the basketball season. Simple as that. It is an exciting time for K-State athletics. Being a part of the Catbacker group, they have a lot of watch parties during weekends and games and in the fall, and so many have had just a wonderful time doing that, but also enjoy the opportunity to be involved with K-State. If you can't make it as often as others, when we go out there, you get a chance every other year to see Coach Klieman or Coach Tang and maybe you get to see or meet a Deuce Vaughn or somebody like Markquis Nowell. You go back in my 21 years and think about all the young people we've taken out and it's an impressive list.
I just appreciate the effort of the Catbacker presidents, all of those committee members that do so much behind the scenes that nobody ever sees, you know? It takes a lot to put on a good event, and they do it because they love it, and they love everything about this place, and, frankly, what we've accomplished over the years, I think they just appreciate the blue-collar K-State. They work hard and we work hard and do it right.
FRITCHEN: You always bring such a sunny demeanor to Catbacker events. Is this Catbacker Tour particularly exciting given all the success this past season?
THOMPSON: Absolutely. You can just feel it. I've spoken a lot with Mike Clark and people in the development office who've been across the state, and Susan Shipman, who heads the Catbacker clubs, and all the reports are, 'Hey, we're going to have a big crowd, and everyone is so pumped up.' Some people haven't seen Jerome Tang yet, and they're going to get an opportunity this spring. That's exciting. It's always fun being out no matter what, but after this kind of year, boy, you really look forward to that.
FRITCHEN: This is your 21st year being a major, major part of Catbackers. How does it feel?
THOMPSON: Humbling in many ways and honored by it. I've done it for so long. The best part for me now is how many friends I've made over the years, whether it's a Catbacker president or a Catbacker member somewhere, over that course of time, doing the emcee work and golf tournaments, you meet so many great people. My son and I are going up to Marysville to play golf June 9, and that's just one example. There are many. It's a pretty cool deal.
FRITCHEN: Being around college athletics and traveling as much as you have over the years, what makes K-State fans unique?
THOMPSON: I always go back to the passion that they have for not only K-State athletics but for the university itself. Over the course of time, I've met so many people along the way that came here to school, fell in love with the place, went away for a lifetime of work, and then they retired and came back here to go to the games. To me, that's one of the coolest things about it. I know a lot of schools think they have passionate fans – and many do, I'm not saying they don't – but if we put a good product out there, man, they're here. We sold out every home football game. We saw that last basketball season. Everybody was talking about it. To me, that's the biggest deal.
FRITCHEN: What do you remember about your first Catbacker event?
THOMPSON: At my very first Catbacker event, I remember the first player I introduced was Andrew Shull from Webb City, Missouri. I also worked with Lon Floyd for the first time, which was a very unique experience. We were at the Southeast Kansas event. At that time, Catbackers visited Pittsburg one year, Iola one year and Chanute one year, so I don't remember which town we were in exactly. Lon was then the way I look at myself now. He knew everybody or most everybody and loved what he was doing and talking and working with the athletes and coaches.
FRITCHEN: What makes Catbackers such a fun experience for student-athletes?
THOMPSON: I think they know we have a passionate fan base and when they're going people are going to show up, but to be out there with them, and spending a couple of hours or a day with them, it's a unique experience for our athletes. The first time you go out, it's a little bit overwhelming, really, for the athletes, just with how the people want to get to know them and talk to them and have them sign different things. I think it's a little bit shocking at first. The longer our athletes do it the more they like it. We've had people over my years here who went out multiple times. B.J. Finney comes to mind. He went out several times. Jordan Henriquez would still go to Catbacker events if he could. Those guys had a lot of fun out there. They, too, met people. I remember Rodney McGruder making friends with some people in Garden City. It's just really fun.
FRITCHEN: What are some of your funniest Catbacker stories?
THOMPSON: Oh my gosh, there'd be so many. I remember going west. We were at the Dodge City Country Club and we were an hour or so from playing their golf tournament. We were having a sandwich. Here's 5-foot-7 Lon Floyd trying to give golf lessons to 7-foot Jordan Henriquez not knowing that JO was left-handed. I laughed at that many, many times that day and since then. When we take people out that have the kind of personalities that we've taken out there – whether it's Jordy Nelson or Darren Sproles or Rodney McGruder, all those guys – it's just empowering and amazing how they look back on it after the fact at what an experience it was. I don't know if that's answering the question, but I've seen a lot of really fun things. There's no doubt about that.
FRITCHEN: Is there a most touching Catbacker story?
THOMPSON: I don't know if I've experienced it yet. What I mean is the part that makes the Catbacker Tour so great is athletics' partnership with the Alumni Association in holding these events. I don't know if people realize it's a cooperative thing between the two entities. Amy Button-Renz is retiring in June. I'm interested to see what that'll be like. You look at her 40-year career and she's everywhere. Maybe that's the right answer at this time. I think Amy typifies the passion that's K-State in so many ways. It's hard to quantify exactly what she's meant. Over the course of time she's done so many things to make the Alumni Association top in the Big 12. She promotes that and I promote that and we promote that, but beyond that the relationship she's developed with Bill Snyder and so many others and just the time and effort that she's put into it. She's served on committees to hire people like Gene Taylor. It's hard to put into a short couple sentences what she actually truly has meant to the whole thing. I'm going to miss her. She's the best.
FRITCHEN: What would be your all-time favorite foursome in a Catbacker Golf Tournament?
THOMPSON: The people we've traveled with over the course of time, and understand it's so hard to pick just four, but I think just for one day, just for fun, I'd probably pick Chris Klieman because I haven't played golf with him and he's 10,000% better than I am, so Coach Klieman would be one. David Allen is one because he hits it a country mile. If I'm going to win, one of the guys I'd pick would be Darren Kent. Darren was maybe the best non-golfer we've ever taken out. I think his handicap was 7 or 8. That dude could hit it. Maybe I'd pick Coach Snyder because he's played golf in his time, but time prevented him from doing so many, many times. That'd be a pretty good day with those guys. There are so many others that weren't with our group, just Catbacker members over the course of time that I've met, too. I'd have to play more than one day.
Wyatt Thompson is ready. Thompson will embark upon his 21st summer as emcee for the annual Catbacker Tour, which gets underway when Kansas State coaches and student-athletes visit Salina, Great Bend and Scott City on Wednesday.
The Catbacker Tour will hit 16 cities and towns across the state of Kansas over the next two weeks.
"It's a total celebration," Thompson says. "From the beginning, the concept was this was our way of going out and thanking our fans for coming here six or seven times in the fall and multiple times during the basketball season. Simple as that.
"It's always an exciting time for K-State athletics."
Thompson was inducted into the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame on October 23, 2022. He was named 2022 Kansas Sportscaster of the Year for a seventh time as well.
In addition to his play-by-play duties for K-State football and men's basketball, Thompson enjoys helping lead the charge in firing up attendees at Catbacker events across the state. The Catbacker Tour serves as a mini pep rally with comments from coaches and student-athletes, and appearances by Willie Wildcat and the K-State cheerleaders.
"I just appreciate the effort of the Catbacker presidents, all of those committee members that do so much behind the scenes that nobody ever sees, you know?" Thompson says. "It takes a lot to put on a good event, and they do it because they love it, and they love everything about this place, and, frankly, what we've accomplished over the years, I think they just appreciate the blue-collar K-State. They work hard and we work hard and do it right."
After the Catbacker Tour stops in Salina, Great Bend and Scott City on Wednesday, it will continue with Liberal, Garden City and Dodge City on Thursday, and week one will conclude with Colby and Hays on Friday.
On Monday, the Catbacker Tour stops in Manhattan, then it visits Hutchinson and Wichita on Tuesday, and visits Chanute, Emporia and Kansas City on Wednesday. The tour wraps up with events in Seneca and Topeka next Thursday.
Thompson discussed the passion of K-State Catbackers Clubs and some of his favorite memories touring the state in a Q&A with K-State Sports Extra's D. Scott Fritchen:
D. SCOTT FRITCHEN: What is one thing everyone should know about Catbackers?
WYATT THOMPSON: Probably the easy and simple answer is just how passionate the people are about Kansas State. It's a total celebration. From the beginning, the concept was this was our way of going out and thanking our fans for coming here six or seven times in the fall and multiple times during the basketball season. Simple as that. It is an exciting time for K-State athletics. Being a part of the Catbacker group, they have a lot of watch parties during weekends and games and in the fall, and so many have had just a wonderful time doing that, but also enjoy the opportunity to be involved with K-State. If you can't make it as often as others, when we go out there, you get a chance every other year to see Coach Klieman or Coach Tang and maybe you get to see or meet a Deuce Vaughn or somebody like Markquis Nowell. You go back in my 21 years and think about all the young people we've taken out and it's an impressive list.
I just appreciate the effort of the Catbacker presidents, all of those committee members that do so much behind the scenes that nobody ever sees, you know? It takes a lot to put on a good event, and they do it because they love it, and they love everything about this place, and, frankly, what we've accomplished over the years, I think they just appreciate the blue-collar K-State. They work hard and we work hard and do it right.
FRITCHEN: You always bring such a sunny demeanor to Catbacker events. Is this Catbacker Tour particularly exciting given all the success this past season?
THOMPSON: Absolutely. You can just feel it. I've spoken a lot with Mike Clark and people in the development office who've been across the state, and Susan Shipman, who heads the Catbacker clubs, and all the reports are, 'Hey, we're going to have a big crowd, and everyone is so pumped up.' Some people haven't seen Jerome Tang yet, and they're going to get an opportunity this spring. That's exciting. It's always fun being out no matter what, but after this kind of year, boy, you really look forward to that.
FRITCHEN: This is your 21st year being a major, major part of Catbackers. How does it feel?
THOMPSON: Humbling in many ways and honored by it. I've done it for so long. The best part for me now is how many friends I've made over the years, whether it's a Catbacker president or a Catbacker member somewhere, over that course of time, doing the emcee work and golf tournaments, you meet so many great people. My son and I are going up to Marysville to play golf June 9, and that's just one example. There are many. It's a pretty cool deal.
FRITCHEN: Being around college athletics and traveling as much as you have over the years, what makes K-State fans unique?
THOMPSON: I always go back to the passion that they have for not only K-State athletics but for the university itself. Over the course of time, I've met so many people along the way that came here to school, fell in love with the place, went away for a lifetime of work, and then they retired and came back here to go to the games. To me, that's one of the coolest things about it. I know a lot of schools think they have passionate fans – and many do, I'm not saying they don't – but if we put a good product out there, man, they're here. We sold out every home football game. We saw that last basketball season. Everybody was talking about it. To me, that's the biggest deal.
FRITCHEN: What do you remember about your first Catbacker event?
THOMPSON: At my very first Catbacker event, I remember the first player I introduced was Andrew Shull from Webb City, Missouri. I also worked with Lon Floyd for the first time, which was a very unique experience. We were at the Southeast Kansas event. At that time, Catbackers visited Pittsburg one year, Iola one year and Chanute one year, so I don't remember which town we were in exactly. Lon was then the way I look at myself now. He knew everybody or most everybody and loved what he was doing and talking and working with the athletes and coaches.
FRITCHEN: What makes Catbackers such a fun experience for student-athletes?
THOMPSON: I think they know we have a passionate fan base and when they're going people are going to show up, but to be out there with them, and spending a couple of hours or a day with them, it's a unique experience for our athletes. The first time you go out, it's a little bit overwhelming, really, for the athletes, just with how the people want to get to know them and talk to them and have them sign different things. I think it's a little bit shocking at first. The longer our athletes do it the more they like it. We've had people over my years here who went out multiple times. B.J. Finney comes to mind. He went out several times. Jordan Henriquez would still go to Catbacker events if he could. Those guys had a lot of fun out there. They, too, met people. I remember Rodney McGruder making friends with some people in Garden City. It's just really fun.
FRITCHEN: What are some of your funniest Catbacker stories?
THOMPSON: Oh my gosh, there'd be so many. I remember going west. We were at the Dodge City Country Club and we were an hour or so from playing their golf tournament. We were having a sandwich. Here's 5-foot-7 Lon Floyd trying to give golf lessons to 7-foot Jordan Henriquez not knowing that JO was left-handed. I laughed at that many, many times that day and since then. When we take people out that have the kind of personalities that we've taken out there – whether it's Jordy Nelson or Darren Sproles or Rodney McGruder, all those guys – it's just empowering and amazing how they look back on it after the fact at what an experience it was. I don't know if that's answering the question, but I've seen a lot of really fun things. There's no doubt about that.
FRITCHEN: Is there a most touching Catbacker story?
THOMPSON: I don't know if I've experienced it yet. What I mean is the part that makes the Catbacker Tour so great is athletics' partnership with the Alumni Association in holding these events. I don't know if people realize it's a cooperative thing between the two entities. Amy Button-Renz is retiring in June. I'm interested to see what that'll be like. You look at her 40-year career and she's everywhere. Maybe that's the right answer at this time. I think Amy typifies the passion that's K-State in so many ways. It's hard to quantify exactly what she's meant. Over the course of time she's done so many things to make the Alumni Association top in the Big 12. She promotes that and I promote that and we promote that, but beyond that the relationship she's developed with Bill Snyder and so many others and just the time and effort that she's put into it. She's served on committees to hire people like Gene Taylor. It's hard to put into a short couple sentences what she actually truly has meant to the whole thing. I'm going to miss her. She's the best.
FRITCHEN: What would be your all-time favorite foursome in a Catbacker Golf Tournament?
THOMPSON: The people we've traveled with over the course of time, and understand it's so hard to pick just four, but I think just for one day, just for fun, I'd probably pick Chris Klieman because I haven't played golf with him and he's 10,000% better than I am, so Coach Klieman would be one. David Allen is one because he hits it a country mile. If I'm going to win, one of the guys I'd pick would be Darren Kent. Darren was maybe the best non-golfer we've ever taken out. I think his handicap was 7 or 8. That dude could hit it. Maybe I'd pick Coach Snyder because he's played golf in his time, but time prevented him from doing so many, many times. That'd be a pretty good day with those guys. There are so many others that weren't with our group, just Catbacker members over the course of time that I've met, too. I'd have to play more than one day.
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