Victor Wishna

Victor Wishna is a contributing author and commentator for Up to Date.

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Up to Date
2:52 pm
Fri May 24, 2013

A Fan's Notes: Under The Spell

Credit Kansas City Star
Olathe residents Vanya and Kavya Shivashankar. Kavya (r) won the 2009 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Younger sister Vanya is making her third national appearance this coming week.

Next week, while the NBA and NHL playoffs drag on, ESPN will turn its attention to the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Many will again wonder, "What's a kid's classroom activity doing on the quintessential sports network?" Commentator Victor Wishna has an answer, in this latest edition of "A Fan's Notes."

In the acoustic landscape of organized competition, there are those iconic sounds that separate the hope of victory from ultimate defeat: The buzzer. The horn. The final whistle. But none may be more chilling and spirit-draining than this one: Ding!

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Up to Date
11:48 am
Fri April 19, 2013

A Fan's Notes: Still Running

Credit Peter Farlow
The Boston Marathon in 2010

­

The road to answers on why someone would bomb the Boston Marathon, the nation’s oldest annual one, remains long, and difficult.

In this edition of "A Fan's Notes," commentator Victor Wishna looks for inspiration in the marathon itself.

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Up to Date
11:45 am
Fri March 22, 2013

A Fan's Notes: Happy Together

Basketball

 

For the 29th time, the annual NCAA Division I Basketball Championship -- that is, "the tournament" -- has arrived in Kansas City. With thousands upon thousands of fans expected, the March Madness is spilling out of the Sprint Center and clogging the downtown streets. Commentator Victor Wishna tries to make sense of the maddening crowd in this month's edition of A Fan's Notes.

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Up to Date
12:15 pm
Wed February 20, 2013

A Fan's Notes: Wrestling With Decisions Of Olympic Proportions

American wrestler Rulon Gardner beat Russian Alexander Karelin in the 2000 Summer Olympic Games

Last week, the International Olympic Committee announced it will be taking wrestling to the mat--the 2016 Games will be the last for the ancient sport. But with March Madness approaching and spring training already underway, why should the casual fan care? Commentator Victor Wishna explains in this month's edition of  A Fan's Notes.

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Up to Date
10:51 am
Fri January 25, 2013

A Fan's Notes: The Name Of The Game

You won't see this yellow sign adorning Sporting KC's stadium anymore

For every Arrowhead Stadium, there are a handful more named for banks, cell-phone companies, or airlines. In big-time sports, corporate naming-rights deals aren't just a trend, they are the rule - with millions of dollars at stake. 

But what's in a name? Sometimes more than was bargained for. Commentator Victor Wishna explains in A Fan's Notes

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Up to Date
10:46 am
Fri December 21, 2012

A Fan's Notes: The #1 That Got Away

Indianapolis Colts 2012 #1 draft pick, quarterback Andrew Luck, will take the Arrowhead Stadium field in this Sunday's match-up with the Kansas City Chiefs.

As the year comes to close, A Fan’s Notes commentator Victor Wishna looks back on “the year that was” in the world of Kansas City sports… with a glimmer of hope at what could be.

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Up to Date
10:20 am
Fri November 16, 2012

A Fan's Notes: Jinx

At least one local college football team is on the brink of a perfect season. But as Victor Wishna explains in this month's edition of "A Fan's Notes," that storybook ending is in jeopardy, thanks to a cover.

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Up to Date
10:15 am
Fri October 12, 2012

A Fan's Notes: Misplaced Cheers?

Credit Jeffrey Beall
Matt Cassel

When the bad news is about the fans instead of the game, you know things just aren’t right.

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Up to Date
12:34 pm
Fri September 7, 2012

A Fan's Notes: This Is Our Youth

Not one player on the 2012-2013 Kansas City Chiefs' roster is over the age of 30.

The Kansas City Chiefs open their regular season this Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. It’s hard to see underneath those protective uniforms, but this years’ team is….well, let’s not sugar coat it – young.

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A Fan's Notes
2:04 pm
Fri August 10, 2012

The 2012 Olympic Games: Inspiration Through Perspiration

Credit Getty
U.S. hurdler Lolo Jones

The 30th Summer Olympic Games come to a close on Sunday in London.

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Up to Date
11:01 pm
Thu May 31, 2012

A Fan's Notes: That Competitive Fire

Credit Regarding BBQ Inc.
American Royal Custom Smoker Hog Shaped

Although you're more likely to find people huddling over their smokers in warmer weather, barbeque is a year-round passion. And for some, it's a whole lot more, says A Fan's Notes commentator Victor Wishna:

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Up to Date
5:00 am
Fri April 27, 2012

A Fan's Notes: It's Just A ~Draft~

One of the most anticipated and widely watched sporting events of the year is happening right now—and it isn’t a championship game or a playoff series or a competition of any kind.

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Up to Date
10:46 am
Fri April 6, 2012

A Fan's Notes: Why Is This Night Different From All Other Nights?

Credit Image courtesy of the book "Matzo Balls & Baseballs" by Dave Cohen
Major League Baseball's opening day and Passover coincide this year

Tonight, once again, families throughout Kansas City will gather together and reflect on a simple question: “Why is this night different?”

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Up to Date
11:44 am
Thu March 8, 2012

A Fan's Notes: The Madness of March

In just a few days the field of the NCAA basketball tournament will be set and March Madness will begin in earnest.

In the latest installment of "A Fan's Notes," Victor Wishna looks for a method in the madness and finds that the road to the Final Four is paved with poetic intentions:

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Up to Date
8:43 am
Fri February 10, 2012

A Fan's Notes: And The Oscar Goes To....

The nominations have all been announced and the Academy Awards are almost here. As any sports fan knows, the thrill of athletic competition is the stuff dreams--and movies--are often made of.

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