Kansas Lawmakers Consider Civil Asset Forfeiture Policies
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas law enforcement officials consider civil asset forfeiture an important tool for stopping the flow of drugs like fentanyl into the state. A panel of state lawmakers wants to ensure the practice is not being used unfairly. Legislators are recommending changes to state law that include denying civil asset forfeiture in cases of lower level crimes like simple possession of drugs - and forcing the return of property if police fail to report seizures on time. But they rejected a proposal to require a criminal conviction to seize property.
Kansas Bureau of Investigation Director Tony Mattivi says requiring a criminal conviction could prevent police from stopping the flow of fentanyl into the state. “Now is not the time to eliminate, or even curb, one of law enforcement’s most effective tools," he said. Critics of civil asset forfeiture argue that Kansas police can use the law to take property away from innocent people.
Sam MacRoberts. with the Kansas Justice Institute, says the use of police seizures in Kansas is going unchecked by state law. “It is fundamentally unfair for the government to be able to take and keep a person's property without proving that the person had done anything wrong," he said.
State lawmakers will consider the panel's recommendations during the legislative session, which begins in January.
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Good News for Passenger Rail Fans in Kansas; State Gets Grant to Expand Service
WASHINGTON (KPR) – Good news for fans of passenger rail service in Kansas. A $500,000 Federal Railroad Administration grant will be used to plan and develop an extension of Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer that will connect the existing rail service between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth with Wichita and Newton. Kansas Republican Senator Jerry Moran announced the grant today (FRI). The proposed extension would also include additional stops in Wichita, Newton and a new stop in Arkansas City.
“I have been working with local, state and federal leaders for several years to connect Kansas to the Heartland Flyer by rail,” Moran said. “Connecting communities across these three states will support new economic opportunities for businesses and provide a new means of travel along this busy route. I am pleased to see the first step in this corridor progress and look forward to seeing the project benefit Kansas and the region and look forward to continued dialogue with local stakeholders.”
Moran led a meeting in 2021 with Amtrak leaders, Kansas legislators and officials from Texas and Oklahoma to discuss the benefits of connecting the Heartland Flyer to Kansas.
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Kansas Senator Seeks to Tie Ukraine Funding to Border Security
UNDATED (KNS/KMUW) - Kansas Republican Senator Roger Marshall is prioritizing funding to Israel over Ukraine, as congress attempts to pass aid packages for both countries. A Democratic bill to fund Ukraine and Israel failed in the senate this week after Republicans opposed it. Marshall and fellow Senate Republicans want to tie funding to Ukraine with stronger border security. But Marshall wants congress to pass standalone aid to Israel, in the wake of an attack by Hamas. The U.S. has designated Hamas as a terrorist organization: "We need to send a message to Hamas," Marshall said. "We need to send a message to Iran and all the terrorists that we're not going to tolerate their inhumane actions, their barbarism."
Marshall says he won't vote for more funding for Ukraine unless the U.S. beefs up security along the southern border. Specifically, he wants to limit the number of people who can seek asylum in the U.S. He says Kansas is affected by border security failures because the state is a pathway for drug trafficking. "Wherever you see drug trafficking, you're going to see crime. Fentanyl alone is impacting Kansas in so many ways," he said. Marshall wants to pass aid to Israel as a standalone package. Marshall says he worries Ukraine's war with Russia is dragging on too long. The White House has warned that the U.S. will run out of money for weapons for Ukraine by year's end.
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Thousands More People Traveling to Kansas for Abortion Services Since Roe v. Wade Ruling Overturned
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) — New research finds thousands more people are traveling to Kansas for abortions than before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The Kansas News Service reports that some 3,700 more people traveled to Kansas for an abortion in the first six months of 2023 than in a similar period in 2020. That’s according to new data from the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights. It found interstate abortion travel more than doubled since Roe was overturned in 2022. Zachary Gingrich-Gaylord at the Wichita clinic Trust Women says those numbers align with what staff see on the ground.
“Our clinic receives an average of 3,000 to 4,000 phone calls a day. We have capacity for around 40 to 50 appointments per clinic day,” Gingrich-Gaylord said, adding that 81 out of every 100 patients the clinic sees are from outside Kansas.
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Johnson County Pediatrician Arraigned on Sex Exploitation Charges
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (KNS) - Doctor Brian Aalbers, the Johnson County pediatrician charged with sexually exploiting children, has been arraigned in federal court. Aalbers appeared in person in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri in downtown Kansas City, wearing shackles and a striped prison jumpsuit. He pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to produce and possessing child sexual abuse material. Magistrate Judge Lajuana Counts set a scheduling conference for January 16th. An accelerated jury trial is scheduled to begin on February 12th. Aalbers is a former employee of Overland Park Regional Medical Center and Children’s Mercy. He is to remain in federal custody.
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EPA Fines KC Marijuana Company for Failing to Register Pesticide Use
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KC Star) - The EPA has fined a Kansas City marijuana company more than $120,000. The Kansas City Star reports that CBD American Shaman failed to register six antimicrobial pesticides that it uses in its products. The violations were observed during EPA inspections in Overland Park and Kansas City. Under federal law, pesticide products must be registered with the EPA. That includes products used to disinfect or sanitize.
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Kansas Geological Survey: Reducing Groundwater Pumping May Stabilize High Plains Aquifer
TOPEKA, Kan. (Kansas Reflector) - Officials with the Kansas Geological Survey (KGS) say a reduction of 18% to 32% in groundwater pumping could help sustain the High Plains Aquifer for at least one decade. The High Plains Aquifer underlies portions of eight states from South Dakota to Texas. It includes the well-known Ogallala Aquifer in western Kansas. The Kansas Reflector reports that in a new study from the Kansas Geological Survey, senior scientist Jim Butler says the only way to slow water-level declines is to reduce pumping in conjunction with modification of agricultural practices. Butler, one of the co-authors of the report, says efficient irrigation technology must be coupled with a binding agreement to reduce pumping to make a difference.
Every year, crews from the Geological Survey and the Kansas Department of Agriculture measure groundwater levels in 1,400 wells across the High Plains Aquifer. Crews from both agencies will fan out across western Kansas in early January for a new round of measuring those wells.
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Attention College Students: New Federal Student Aid Form Coming this Month
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS/KMUW) - In college or heading to college? An updated federal student aid form known as the FAFSA will roll out this month with changes intended to simplify the application process. The new form pulls tax information directly from the I-R-S and trims 108 questions to fewer than 50 for applicants. It also raises the income threshold, making more students eligible for need-based aid. But it no longer gives families a break for having multiple children in college at the same time. High school students in Kansas are now required to fill out the FAFSA thanks to a vote last year by the state board of education. But Board president Melanie Haas worried it could increase student debt. “Does that mean that they go to college because they’ve filled out that FAFSA, and now they’ve got a loan? And how many of them are leaving college after one year?” The new form is supposed to be available by December 31. Get more information at studentaid.gov.
Last year, Kansas became the seventh state to require students to complete the form. State Education Commissioner Randy Watson said that could lead to more students getting help to pay for college. “Other states have done that, and what we generally see is Pell Grant awardees go up, and lower-income and minority students get a better opportunity to have some of their post-secondary completed.” Kansas students or families will be able to individually opt out of the requirement.
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Kansas Public Radio Is Hiring
Morning News Host, Newscaster / Reporter
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) — Kansas Public Radio is seeking a new morning news host. The Morning Edition Host/Reporter delivers the local segments of “Morning Edition,” National Public Radio’s weekday news magazine on Kansas Public Radio (hereafter “KPR”), licensed by the University of Kansas in Lawrence. This person gathers, edits, writes, produces and delivers local newscasts and hosts the local segments of this national show on KPR. Following each day’s broadcast of Morning Edition, this position is also responsible for producing broadcast and online news content. The reporter must have a keen understanding of state, regional and national news. This position requires consistent availability weekdays from 4:00am to 1:00pm, including most holidays. Position is supervised by the News Director and/or Assistant News Director. Application review begins in December and continues until a pool of qualified applicants is identified. Candidates must apply online: https://employment.ku.edu/jobs/staff/morning-news-host-reporter/26740br KU is an EO/AAE. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, national origin, disability, genetic information or protected veteran status.
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Washburn Soccer Team Advances to National Championship
UNDATED (KPR) - The Washburn women’s soccer team will be playing for the NCAA Division 2 championship. The Ichabods advanced to the title match by defeating Adelphi University of New York, 1-0, Thursday. Mackinly Rohn, a freshman from Washburn Rural High School, scored the match’s only goal in the second half. The Ichabods, with a 21-3-1 record, have never won a national title in women’s soccer. The women's soccer championship match will take place Saturday at 11 am in Matthews, North Carolina. The Ichabods will play Point Loma of California. The Sea Lions are 16-3-1 on the season.
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K-State Dismisses Forward Tomlin Month After Arrest; Fans Shower Criticism on Administration
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas State forward Nae'Qwan Tomlin was dismissed from the team late Wednesday, more than a month after his arrest for disorderly conduct, triggering a wave of criticism aimed at the school administration from some fans.
Tomlin averaged 10.4 points in 36 games last season, and was a big part of the Wildcats' surprise run to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. He considered turning pro after the season but ultimately decided to return to the program.
He was arrested following a bar fight in October, and Kansas State coach Jerome Tang immediately suspended him “for not living up to the expectations of our players.” But as the season progressed, many Kansas State fans were antsy for Tomlin's return to the team, even chanting his name during an overtime win against Villanova this week.
As some fans began calling and emailing administrators, including Kansas State president Richard Linton, athletic director Gene Taylor finally issued a statement that said Tomlin “will no longer be able to continue with the K-State men's basketball team."
“This decision was not made lightly by me,” he said, "but it is the decision warranted by the circumstances that brought it to bear.”
Taylor said he had been “monitoring the situation” along with Tang but declined to share any specifics of the case, citing federal privacy laws. That includes whether there were factors beyond the initial bar fight that led to his decision.
Earlier in the day, Tomlin posted on Instagram the lyrics from a song that said: “I want to be free, free, free.” The 6-foot-10 forward is scheduled to graduate at the semester, and because he has yet to play for the Wildcats this season, Tomlin could transfer to another school and play for the remainder of the season.
“Allowing for space and time is critical,” Taylor said, "but in today’s digital age, that unfortunately can lead to the spread of rumors and misinformation — and in this case, much of the information on social media is incorrect.
“We stand united to do what is best for this young man’s personal development and growth,” Taylor continued, "and to do what is best to uphold the values of our teams and our university at large.”
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AP All-Big 12 First and Second Team Selections Include KU, K-State Players
UNDATED (AP) — Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II is The Associated Press Big 12 offensive player of the year and 362-pound Texas tackle T’Vondre Sweat is the league’s top defensive player. Third-year Texas coach Steve Sarkisian was voted the league’s top coach and Longhorns junior receiver Adonai Mitchell, a transfer from Georgia, the top newcomer. Offensive tackle Dominic Puni and defensive end Austin Booker of the University of Kansas also made the All-Big 12 first team, as did offensive guard Cooper Beebe and tight end Ben Sinnott of Kansas State. Running back Devin Neal, cornerback Cobee Bryant, and offensive guard Michael Ford of Kansas were named to the second team.
The third-ranked Longhorns won the conference title and made the four-team College Football Playoff in their final Big 12 season before moving with Oklahoma to the Southeastern Conference next year. Texas has six first-team selections on the AP All-Big 12 team and the Sooners have four.
Here is a complete listing of the AP All-Big 12 First and Second Team honorees. The listings indicate the players' position, then name, team, year, height, weight, and hometown. "U" indicates a unanimous selection:
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
WR — Drake Stoops, Oklahoma, Sr., 5-10, 189, Norman, Oklahoma.
WR — Xavier Worthy, Texas, Jr., 6-1, 172, Fresno, California.
OT — Dominick Puni, Kansas, Sr., 6-5, 320, St. Charles, Missouri.
OT — Patrick Paul, Houston, Jr., 6-7, 315, Houston, Texas.
OG — Cooper Beebe, Kansas State, Sr., 6-4, 335, Kansas City, Missouri.
OG — Luke Kandra, Cincinnati, Jr., 6-4, 320, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Center — Zach Frazier, West Virginia, Jr., 6-3, 310, Fairmont, West Virginia.
TE — Ben Sinnott, Kansas State, Jr., 6-4, 245, Waterloo, Iowa.
QB — Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma, Sr., 5-11, 204, Mililana, Hawaii.
u-RB — Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State, So., 6-1, 211, Fort Worth, Texas.
RB — Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech, Sr., 5-10, 230, Manor, Texas.
PK — Bert Auburn, Texas, Jr., 6-0, 183, Flower Mound, Texas.
All-purpose — Xavier Worthy, Texas, Jr., 6-1, 172, Fresno, California.
DEFENSE
DE — Austin Booker, Kansas, So., 6-6, 245, Greenwood, Indiana.
DE — Tre’Mon Morris-Brash, UCF, Sr., 6-2, 245, Richmond, Virginia.
u-DT — T’Vondre Sweat, Texas, Sr., 6-4, 362, Huntsville, Texas.
DT — Byron Murphy, Texas., Jr., 6-1, 308, Desoto, Texas.
u-LB — Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma, Jr., 6-4, 236, Windermere, Florida.
LB — Nickolas Martin, Oklahoma State, So., 6-0, 215, Texarkana, Texas.
LB — Jaylan Ford, Texas, Sr., 6-3, 242, Frisco, Texas.
CB — Beanie Bishop Jr., West Virginia, Sr., 5-10, 184, Louisville, Kentucky.
CB — T.J. Tampa, Iowa State, Sr., 6-2, 200, St. Petersburg, Florida.
S — Billy Bowman, Oklahoma, Jr., 5-10, 192, Denton, Texas.
S — Jeremiah Cooper, Iowa State, So., 6-0, 185, El Paso, Texas.
Punter — Ryan Rehkow, BYU, Jr., 6-5, 235, Veradale, Washington.
SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
WR — Javon Baker, UCF, Sr., 5-11, 170, Atlanta, Georgia.
WR — Adonai Mitchell, Texas, Jr., 6-4, 196, Missouri City, Texas.
OT —Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas, So., 6-4, 324, Humble, Texas.
OT — Kingsley Suamataia, BYU, So., 6-6, 325, Orem, Utah.
OG — Michael Ford, Kansas, Jr., 6-3, 305, Homewood, Illinois.
OG — Willis Patrick, TCU, Jr., 6-4, 338, Grand Prairie, Texas.
Center — Andrew Raym, Oklahoma, Sr., 6-4, 305, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
TE — Jared Wiley, TCU, Sr., 6-7, 260, Temple, Texas.
QB — Quinn Ewers, Texas, So., 6-2, 195, Southlake, Texas.
RB — Devin Neal, Kansas, Jr., 5-11, 215, Lawrence, Kansas.
RB —Jonathon Brooks, Texas, So., 6-0, 207, Hallettsville, Texas.
PK — Alex Hale, Oklahoma State, Sr., 6-0, 205, Point Frederick, NSW, Australia
All-purpose — Brennan Presley, Oklahoma State, Sr., 5-8, 175, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
DEFENSE
DE — Nelson Ceaser, Houston, Jr., 6-3, 250, Missouri City, Texas.
DE — Tyler Batty, BYU, Jr., 6-5, 273, Payson, Utah.
DT — Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati, So., 6-2, 318, Cincinnati, Ohio.
DT —Jamaree Caldwell, Houston, Jr., 6-1, 325, Newberry, South Carolina.
LB — Jason Johnson, UCF, Sr., 6-2, 235, Chicago, Illinois.
LB —Collin Oliver, Oklahoma State, Jr., 6-2, 235, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
LB — Ben Roberts, Texas Tech, Fr., 6-3, 230, Haslet, Texas.
CB — Cobee Bryant, Kansas, Jr., 6-0, 170, Evergreen, Alabama.
CB — Josh Newton, TCU, Sr., 6-0, 190, Monroe, Louisiana.
S —Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Texas Tech, Sr., 5-11, 195, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
S —Beau Freyler, Iowa State, Jr., 6-2, 220, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Punter — Austin McNamara, Texas Tech, 6-4, 210, Gilbert, Arizona.
INDIVIDUAL HONORS
Offensive player of the year — Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State.
Defensive player of the year — T'Vondre Sweat, DT, Texas.
Coach of the year — Steve Sarkisian, Texas.
Newcomer of the year — Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas.
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Bills and Chiefs to Meet at Arrowhead with Both Teams Feeling Desperate for a Win
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs are accustomed to playing each other with the NFL spotlight shining squarely upon them.
There was that AFC championship game a few of years ago, when Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen and Kansas City counterpart Patrick Mahomes went toe-to-toe for four quarters. And the divisional playoff game the following season, when Mahomes needed a mere 13 seconds to march his team into range for a tying field goal, then led the Chiefs to victory in overtime.
Even their games the past two Octobers have been must-see TV featuring two of the league's best teams.
Yet there is a different feel surrounding the Bills' return to Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday.
Buffalo is muddling along at 6-6 and outside the current playoff picture, the first time since Allen's rookie season in 2018 that the Bills were .500 or worse at this point in the season. And the Chiefs have lost three of their last five games, falling to 8-4 and suddenly looking up at Baltimore and Miami in the AFC standings.
“We understand what’s in front of us and what situation we’re in,” Allen said , “but we've got a lot of guys in this locker room that are very excited to be back, and we have a very good feeling in this locker room right now for what we need to do.”
The Bills are in their current predicament largely because of their inability to win close games. Each of their losses have been by six points or fewer, including four losses in the six games they played before getting last week off.
With Dallas and Miami still on the schedule, their path back to the playoffs won't be an easy one.
“We have to have a somewhat playoff mentality going forward,” Bills center Mitch Morse said, “and that's not going to guarantee us to win all the games. But we can't reach our goal if we don't play, work, practice, come together with a sense of urgency.”
The Chiefs have a similar sense of urgency coming off their loss last Sunday in Green Bay. They squandered control of their own destiny when it came to the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, and the AFC's lone first-round bye, with the lackluster 27-19 defeat.
“I've been on a team that was 6-4 and ended up winning the Super Bowl,” Mahomes said. “We have confidence every week that we’re going to find a way to win. Obviously, these last few weeks we’ve lost a couple, but we still have that mindset.”
Unlike the Bills, though, the Chiefs do not face anyone with a winning record the rest of the regular season.
“We can’t lose three out of four, or three out of five. It’s a critical situation,” Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones said, "especially where we’re trying to be in the next few weeks. We have to correct the errors, and we have to correct them fast.”
MILLER’S SITUATION
Bills pass rusher Von Miller is expected to play Sunday despite allegations of domestic violence made against him during their week off.
Miller turned himself in to police in a Dallas suburb after being charged in a warrant with domestic violence against the mother of his children, who is pregnant. He faces a charge of third-degree felony assault of a pregnant woman.
“No one wants their name associated with any accusation like that,” Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane said. “But things happen sometimes, and again, we have to remember people, we have to give them their fair due process.”
INJURY ITEMS
The Chiefs are unlikely to have linebacker Drue Tranquill (concussion), left tackle Donovan Smith (neck) and safety Bryan Cook (ankle), while running back Isiah Pacheco is nursing a bruised shoulder. But they are hopeful that linebacker Nick Bolton will be back soon from injured reserve, where he landed after wrist surgery, providing a big boost to a banged-up defense.
INJURY ITEMS, PART 2
The Bills aren't going to give the Chiefs any sympathy when it comes to injuries. Tight end Dalton Knox has missed five games after his own wrist surgery and cornerback Kaiir Elam four to an ankle injury, but both resumed practicing this week, raising hopes they will soon come off IR. Meanwhile, cornerback Dane Jackson cleared the concussion protocol and safety Taylor Rapp was back at practice after missing a game with a neck injury.
QUARTERBACK CONCERNS
Allen and Mahomes have been so good for so long that it becomes a big storyline whenever things go awry. In both of their cases, turnovers have been a problem this season.
Allen has committed at least one in eight straight games — nine interceptions, two lost fumbles — while Mahomes has thrown 10 picks and is on pace to set a career high.
COACHING CONCERNS
The Bills have scored 66 points in their two games since offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey was fired and quarterbacks coach Joe Brady took over; they had scored 123 in Dorsey's final six games total. But that doesn't mean the Chiefs are writing off everything that Buffalo did over its first 10 games this season.
“There's some differences,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, "but there’s also some of the same things. They didn’t completely can the offense there. I think we’ll have a good feel for what they do.”
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Popular Documentary 'Bye Bye Barry' Sheds New Light on Sanders' Decision to Retire from Lions
UNDATED (AP) — Coach Dan Campbell and quarterback Jared Goff aren't the only popular Detroit Lions these days.
A movie about the franchise's greatest running back and his sudden retirement is Amazon Prime Video's most-viewed documentary.
“Bye Bye Barry” looks back at Barry Sanders' 10-year career with the Detroit Lions and his decision to retire in 1999 despite being on the cusp of becoming the NFL's all-time leading rusher. It surpassed “Kelce,” a documentary about Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, less than two weeks after its premiere.
“I think the timing is just right,” Sanders said during an interview with The Associated Press. “Amazon felt like it was a story that a lot of people wanted to hear and that they wanted to tell. They felt like it was a good story for them to be able to tell a certain way. And I think people also like documentaries like ‘The Last Dance' where people get an in-depth look.”
While the 90-minute documentary looks at Sanders' entire 10-year career in Detroit, as well as being recruited to Oklahoma State University and winning the Heisman Trophy in 1988, a major focus is his decision to retire and head to London on the eve of the Lions opening training camp in 1999.
Sanders was 31 when he walked away with 15,269 career rushing yards and 109 touchdowns. He was 1,457 yards from passing Walter Payton to become the NFL's rushing king, a mark Emmitt Smith ended up breaking three years later.
Sanders' retirement drew comparisons to Jim Brown, who retired in 1966 at 29 after nine seasons in Cleveland. Brown announced his retirement in England while filming a movie.
“I’ve never thought of myself as having sort of mystique or being mysterious. But for people that don’t know me, I can see how maybe they can see it that way,” Sanders said. “Hopefully, the documentary will answer a lot of questions. There is sort of a new group of fans. We hope we can reach a lot of them with the story. I think it’s something they’ll appreciate."
One detail throughout the documentary notes Sanders was never concerned about statistics or the limelight. Sanders' father, Williams Sanders, discussed in a taped interview before his death in 2011 how his son didn't go back into the final regular-season game his senior year of high school because his team was up by five touchdowns, even though he could have finished as the top rusher in Wichita, Kansas.
Sanders finished eight yards shy of overtaking Kansas City's Christian Okoye for the rushing title in his rookie season in 1989 because the Lions were well ahead of the Atlanta Falcons and he wanted other backs to get carries in the fourth quarter.
Noted Detroit Lions fans Jeff Daniels, Tim Allen and Eminem make appearances to discuss their memories of Sanders.
The best part though might be Sanders and his four sons going to London. In a scene filmed at a restaurant near London Bridge, they ask him about the decision and why he did it with a statement faxed to his local paper in Wichita instead of a press conference.
In talking to his sons, Barry Sanders recalled toward the middle of the 1998 season feeling it might be his last.
Nigel Sanders, the second-oldest at 22, asked his dad if he thought about going to another team, but that never was a consideration. Barry Sanders acknowledged to his oldest son, Barry Sanders Jr., that losing played a role in leaving the Lions, who were coached by Bobby Ross..
“That’s a game you could probably play all day," he said. "Like if we were coming off a deep playoff run, a Super Bowl loss. You know, those things do matter. And thinking back, I guess all I can say is it could have made the difference.”
Sanders has been a part of Nissan's “Heisman House” campaign and a new generation of fans get to play him on the Madden video games. Any ill will from the Lions toward Sanders is a thing of the past. A statue of Sanders was dedicated in front of Ford Field this season.
Sanders is hopeful the Lions can host and win a playoff game for the first time since the 1991 season, which is the longest current drought in the NFL. Sanders' only postseason victory came in an NFC divisional round game against the Dallas Cowboys.
Detroit goes into Sunday's game at Chicago with a 9-3 record and a three-game lead over Minnesota in the NFC North.
“Leaving that stadium that day, I would have assumed that I would have won several more playoff games and even a Super Bowl. So it just shows you that there’s no guarantees in the game,” he said. “Coach Campbell has a personality and you can feel like guys play for him. When things go south, he takes the blame. With leading the division this year, it’s really a combination of what Dan and (general manager) Brad Holmes have done since they got there. They deserve all the credit in the world.”
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