-
KC basketball schedule
Following is the Knights of Columbus Athletic Club’s four-man basketball schedule for the week of Oct. 6.
Monday
7 p.m. — Poi Time vs. Jellyfam
8 p.m. — Hoopballas vs. RanchmensTuesday
7 p.m. — Kenworthy vs. Jellyfam
8 p.m. — Poi Time vs. Ranchmens
9 p.m. — Someday Starters vs. HoopballasWednesday
7 p.m. — Everett-Cook Law vs. Washington Generals
8 p.m. — Everett-Cook Law vs. Parish
9 p.m. — Parish vs. Rosary RattlersThursday
7 p.m. — Kenworthy vs. Someday Starters
8 p.m. — Washington Generals vs. Rosary Rattlers
-
McGree brothers tie for 13th at State A
SIDNEY — Butte Central brothers Will and Beau McGree are All-State golfers.
The McGrees both rallied on Saturday’s final round of the Class A State golf tournament at the Sidney Country Club to tie for 13th place on the boys’ leaderboard with a two-day total of 162 on the par-72 course. (Results)
The top 15 players earn All-State recognition.
Will, a senior, improved six shots from his opening round 84 for a 78 on Saturday. Beau, a sophomore, improved eight shots from his 85 on Friday for a 77 on Saturday.
Colin Jensen of Billings Central lit up the course for a 66 on Saturday to take medalist honors. Jensen, who shot an opening-round 75, finished with a 3-under 141 total. Caleb Fornsshell of Billings Central placed second at 144, while first-round leader Max Milton of Polson tied for third with Corvallis’ Brady Powell at 145.
Corvallis improved four shots for a 305 and a 614 total to win the team title. The Blue Devils edged Billings Central by two shots. The Rams shot a 300 on Saturday.
On the girls’ side, Anna Lende of Livingston shot matching 77s for a 154 total to win the State title. Jordan Nielsen of Billings Central placed second at 162, followed by teammate Berkley Park at 163.
Dillon’s Skylar LaPierre placed fifth at 166. Teammate Briley Alberi tied for eighth at 181.
Butte Central eighth grader Mya McGree finished at 213. She followed a 102 with a 111.
Billings Central won the girls’ team title at 687. Whitefish took second at 733, and Dillon placed third at 762.
(Pictured above in the courtesy photo, Beau McGree, left, and Will McGree are shown with their All-State medals.)
-
Wiltsie and Bulldog boys win Headwaters Cross Country meet
THREE FORKS — The Butte High boys’ team won the Headwaters Invitational Cross Country meet Friday, defeating second-place Jefferson 28-64. (Results)
Bulldog senior Levi Wiltsie won the individual title in 16 minutes 21 seconds, beating Cascade’s Peyton Johnson by 17 seconds. The victory comes a couple of weeks after Wiltsie signed to run cross country at the University of Providence in Great Falls.
The entire varsity team ran personal bests with Lincoln Zell finishing sixth in 16:56, Isaac Zell eight in 17:34, Bridger Luebke ninth in 17:35, Charles Killebrew 12th in 17:50 and Colton Yoakum 23rdin 18:34.
The varsity girls’ team also performed well, finishing third behind Jefferson and Manhattan and having all runners with personal best times. Elsa Theiszen led the Bulldogs finishing third in 20:15, she was followed by Pipi Luebke seventh in 20:32, Addie Thompson 26th in 22:54, Wakely Buerlson 29th in 22:59, Kellie Jo Carpenter 31st in 23:08.
The Butte High junior varsity boys also captured fisth place in both the team and individual competition. Ryan Hansen and Jason Real finished first and second with times of 18:33 and 18:53. They were followed by Johan Theiszen sixth in 19:40, Brian Moen 11th in 20:35, Sawyer Howell 20th in 22:04, Jack Taylor 22nd in 22:31, Alex Cranney 23rd in 22:33, Lyric Haston 31st in 24:12, Case Richardson 32nd in 24:42, Brian Poole 34th in 25:54, Zach McLarnon 35th in 25:54, Emmet Hedval 37th in 27:07, Caelum Moore 38th in 27:52, and Kyle Van Elsberg 39th in 28:17.
Kherington Adams captured first place in the girls’ JV race. The Bulldogs placed third as a team.
Adams was followed by Cambree O’Neill ninth in 25:40, Lynn Wiltsie 26th in 30:14, Lainee Walsh-Hill 30th in 33:55, Evelyn Hardman 32nd in 34:02, and Hayden Hiltunen 33rd in 34:27.
Siblings Camden and Sophia Houchin sat out the race while recovering from a cold.
Next up for the Bulldogs is the Capital City 7 on 7 meet, which is Thursday in Helena.
(In the courtesy photo above, Levi Wiltsie sits with University of Providence cross country coach Tony Arntson.)
-
Bengals hold off Bulldogs
Peyton Lorenz ran for 105 yards and two touchdowns to lead Helena High to a 35-28 win over Butte High in front of a smallish Silver B’s Night crowd Friday at Naranche Stadium.
It was a kickoff return, a fake punt and trick play, though, that broke the Bulldogs back.
Butte High led 14-7 at halftime before Sean Gibson returned the opening kick of the second half 96 yards for a game-tying touchdown.
After Lorenz put the Bengals on top with his second TD, this one for 27 yards, Brayden Garza threw a 58-ayrd strike to Seth Kiser on a trick play to make it a 28-14 Helena lead.
That play came right after a fake punt gave Helena a first down.
The Bulldogs did not go down quietly, though. Junior quarterback Raeder Grey threw fourth quarter TD passes to Koyde Kjersten for 52 yards and Hudson Luedtke for 9 yards.
Garza, though, punched in an 11-yard run in between those Butte scores.
Grey completed 21 of 29 passes for 324 yards and three TDs. He also hooked up with Luedtke for an 8-yard strike in the first quarter.
Luedke had a monster game, catching 12 passes for 180 yards Fellow senior Kaleb Celli caught four passes for 35 yards. Brady Walsh grabbed three for 53 and Kjersten hauled in two for 56.
Senior Peyton Johnson ran for 48 yards, while Gunner Bushman punched in a 2-yard touchdown run.
Noseguard Waylond Hicks intercepted a pass and returned it 43 yards to set up Butte’s first touchdown. Jaeger Hanson led the defense with 13 tackles, while Mitch Verlanic added 11 and Finn Wortham got in on 10.
Bridger Brancamp registered a sack. He also recovered a fumble that was forced by Wortham.
The Bengals improved to 4-2 overall and 3-1 in conference. The Bulldogs fell to 1-5 and 0-4. Butte High will play at Kalispell Flathead next Friday.
-
McGrees in the hunt at State A golf
SIDNEY — Butte Central siblings Will, Beau and Mya McGree will be looking for All-State honors Saturday as the Class A State golf tournament closes at the Sidney Country Club.
They have some work to do, however.
Senior Will McGree shot an 84, while sophomore Beau McGree hit an 85 during Friday’s opening round. (Results)
That puts Will in a tie 20th place and Beau in a tie for 26th at the halfway point. The cut off for the top 15 and All-State is 82 after the first day.
Max Milton of Polson leads the boys’ race with a 3-under-par 69. Brady Powell of Corvallis is second at 72. Sawyer Gentry, Caleb Fornshell of Billings Central and Dylan Wirt of Corvallis are tied for third at 74.
Corvallis leads the boys’ team race at 39=09. Polson and Billings Central are tied for second at 316.
On the girls’ side, eighth grader Mya McGree shot a 102 and is tied for 23rd place.
Ann Lende of Livingston leads the way at 77. Barkley Park of Billings Central and Karlee Brown of Whitefish are tied for second at 81.
Billings Central’s 349 leads the girls’ standings. Whitefish is second at 372, followed by Dillon at 385. Skylar LaPierre leads the Dillon girls with an 84, which is good for sixth place.
The tournament concludes with 18 holes on Saturday.
-
Bulldog golfers just miss All-State
Butte High golfers Chase Choquette, Kate DeShaw and Keeley Johnston finished just out of the running for All-State honors Friday at the Class AA State tournament. (Results, use pass code “STATEAA25.”)
Helena Capital’s John Gilbert claimed boys’ medalist honors in dramatic fashion. He drained a long birdie putt on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff to beat Missoula Sentinel’s Jack Schaefer for the state title.
Gilbert and Schaefer both finished with a 1-over-par 141, shooting a 72 on Thursday and a 69 Friday on the par-72 course.
Jack Prinski of Great Falls Russell placed third at 144.
The top 15 players earn All-State honors, and Choquette missed that by just one shot. He followed a 76 with an 81 for a 157 to place 18th. The four players just ahead of him tied for 14th.
Lane Lisac, who is an eighth grader at East Middle School, was the only other Bulldog boy to play at State. He improved four shots for an 81 and a 166 total.
On the girls’ side, Billings Senior’s Payton Tryan took home medalist honors at 153. She shot a 77 after an opening-round 76. Heidi Huber of Bozeman took second at 160, followed by Kira Connell of Bozeman at 162.
Bulldog junior Kate DeShaw improved four shots for a 93 and a 190 total and 18th place. She missed the top 15 and All-State by two shots.
Butte High senior Keeley Johnston followed a 92 with a 99 for a 191 total and 19th place.
Missoula Sentinel won the boys’ title, and Bozeman claimed the girls’ crown.
-
Podcast No. 294: Keith Sayers
You will look long and hard before you find a better ambassador for the Mining City than today’s guest. In these parts, Keith Sayers is the most-known motorcycle rider who doesn’t have the last name Knievel.
Keith bought his first motorcycle from a friend for just $10 when he was 9 years old. He turned quite the profit on that investment. Keith is now in his 20th year making a living riding his dirt bike.
You probably know Keith from the show he and his fellow riders put on in Butte every June during the Colt Anderson Dream Big Event. Or maybe you remember him from his shows during Evel Knievel Days. Or maybe you live in any corner of this country and you know him because Keith performed in your town.
Sayers started racing motocross when he was 12 years old. That led him to give up on his dreams of playing professional baseball. He realized the dirt bike was his calling.
During the first Evel Knievel Days in 2002, Keith stood at the fence as he watched the freestyle riders wow the crowd with their tricks. He wondered how he could be part of that team. Fast forward a few years, and Keith owned the that team, and the shows for Evel Days got bigger and better each year. He introduced us to X Games legends like Heath Frisby.
At 43, the 2001 Butte High graduate is still touring the country and riding. He travels with his wife Danielle, the couple’s daughter Lylee (15) and son Gavin (12).
Listen as he talks about Evel Days, jumping Sparky’s Garage and his trick that gets the biggest roar from the crowd. Listen to hear his passion when he talks about being a role model.
Listen as he talks about how Gavin is already a better rider than his dad.
Today’s episode of the ButteCast is brought to you by Casagranda’s Steakhouse. Eat where the locals eat.
Watch this episode on YouTube:
-
Choquette tied for 7th after first round
Johnston leads Bulldog girls
Butte High senior Chase Choquette is tied for seventh place after the first round of the Class AA State golf tournament at the Butte Country Club. (Results, use pass code “STATEAA25.”)
Choquette fired a 6-over-par 76, and he is tied with Torren Murray of Glacier, Timmy Lien of Billings Senior and Derek Schaefer and Joseph Meusey of Missoula Sentinel.
Three players shot an opening-round 72 to share the lead in the race for medalist honors. They are Jack Pinski of Great Falls Russell, John Gilbert of Helena Capital and Jack Schaefer of Sentinel.
Luke Nelson of Glacier shot a 73, while Reece Chapman of Helena Capital shot a 75, and Austin Kaufman of Helena High carded a 75.
Eighth grader Lane Lisac shot an 85 in his first State tournament round. He and Choquette are the lone boys playing for the Bulldogs.
Sentinel took the team lead with a 303. Capital is three back at 306, while Glacier is third at 309.
Peyton Tryan of Senior shot a 76 to lead the girls’ individual race. Bozeman’s Heidi Huber is second at 80. Hawks teammate Kira Connell is third at 81. The Country Club is a Par 71 course for the girls.
Butte High senior Keeley Johnston shot a 92 to lead the Bulldogs. That is good for 14th place Johnston four shots out of the top 10, and the top 15 after the final round earn All-State honors.
Bulldog junior Kate DeShaw shot a 97, and sophomore Sage Leber hit 124.
Bozeman holds down the tea lead at 352. Billings West is second at 369, and Senior is third at 379.
The tournament concludes with 18 holes on Friday.
-
Bulldogs look to get back to winning; Maroons roll streak to three
Flag football, golfers head to State
The Butte High Bulldogs will have an ace up their sleeves Friday night when they welcome Helena High to Naranche Stadium for a Western AA football game.
Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m., a half hour later because of Silver B’s Night.
The Silver B’s will welcome former Bulldog players who first lettered in 2000 to the distinguished group before the game. They will also induct the 1975 first-time letter winners as Golden B’s, and Joe Kilminster and Daniel Larsen will become the 21st and 22nd Diamond B’s in the 86-year history of the organization.
Kilminster and Larsen first lettered in 1950.
Then, the former Bulldogs will take the best seats in the house to watch Butte High (1-4 overall, 0-3 Western AA) play the Bengals (3-2, 2-1).
That setup has worked very well for the Bulldogs in the past. Butte High 55-28-1 overall on Silver B’s Night. That includes eight straight victories in front of the old Bulldogs.
Butte High’s last loss on Silver B’s Night came in 2015, when they fell 28-9 to Missoula Sentinel.
Butte High is 11-2 on Silver B’s Night since Naranche Stadium reopened in 2011. There was no Silver B’s Night in 2020 because of the COVID pandemic.
Butte High is looking to bounce back from last week’s gut-wrenching 10-7 home loss to Missoula Sentinel. Blaise Olson booted a 36-yard field goal as time expired to hand the Bulldogs a loss that will likely mean they will need to win their four remaining games to host a playoff game.
The Bengals come to town after winning their last two games. Helena beat Helena Capital 27-24 last week. A week earlier, the Bengals beat Flathead 31-20 at home. Two weeks before that, the Spartans fell 31-24 in double overtime at Sentinel.
Helena High opened the season with a 28-20 win at home against Billings Skyview before losing 42-13 at Gallatin.
Junior Reece Silvonen and senior C.J. Danforth have both taken snaps at quarterback for the Bengals. They have combined for nine touchdowns and five interceptions.
Junior Peyton Lorenz is averaging 5.5 yards per carry to lead the Bengal rushing attack. Sophomore Brayden Garza is averaging 4.3.
Junior Gracen Silvonen leads the team with 33 receptions for 342 yards and two touchdowns.
Defensively, senior Auston Rowe has picked off four passes, and senior Nicholas Kantorowicz has racked up three sacks.
Junior Raeder Grey took over as the starting quarterback last week for the Bulldogs. He completed 10 of 28 passes for 141 yards. He was picked off once. Grey also used his legs, scrambling for 31 yards and several key first downs.
Senior Peyton Johnson muscled his way to 65 yards on 16 carries behind an offensive linemen Gannon Sullivan, Keegan Swisher, Waylond Hicks, Mason Swanson, Sawyer Casey and Kadyn Sommer.
Senior Kaleb Celli caught five passes for 61 yards, and classmate Hudson Luedtke hauled in four for 77. Senior Brooks Vincent, who moved from quarterback to receiver, also caught a pass for the Bulldogs, who lost senior receivers and return man Preston Jensen for the season with an injury.
Senior defensive back Mitch Verlanic leads the Bulldogs with 46 total tackles, 35 of which are solo. Junior linebacker Jaeger Hansen has 39 total tackles, while senior linebacker Gunner Bushman has 33, and Luedtke has racked up 30.
Junior Bradey Doyle and emerging junior backer Finn Wortham each have 26.
Junior Kodye Kjersten, Grey, junior Reece Cunneen, junior Kasen Snyder and seniors Grady Foley and Bridger Brancamp have reached double digits in tackles.
The Bulldogs will travel to Kalispell to take on Flathead on Oct. 10 before heading to Missoula to battle Hellgate at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Oct. 16. The Bulldogs close out the regular season at home against Capital on Oct. 24.
Maroons win third straight
Don’t look now, but the Butte Central Maroons are on fire.
BC officially has a winning streak after last Friday’s 35-13 Homecoming beating of Corvallis in a Southwestern A game on the Bob Green Field. That followed a 17-16 home win over Hardin and a 40-0 pounding of Ronan in Missoula.
Senior Ryan Peoples tossed four more touchdown passes to lead the way. He hooked up with senior GG Fantini and freshman Henly Mansanti each for two TDs. Fantini also punched in a 3-yard run.
Through four games, Peoples, who was also voted Homecoming King, has passed for 780 yards and 10 touchdowns. He has thrown just one pick.
Fantini leads the team with 15 receptions for 217 yards. Mansanti, sophomores Treigh Hollow and Palmer Kellicut and senior J.J. Taylor each have racked up a pair of sacks for the BC defense.
The Maroons (3-1 overall, 1-0 Southwestern A) are back at home this Friday for a 7 p.m. Southwestern game against Stevensville. The Yellowjackets come to town at 1-4 and 0-1.
Stevi fell 52-7 at home to Hamilton last week. That came after a 26015 loss at Hamilton.
After losing 40-14 at Hardin and 42-14 at Libby, the Yellowjackets picked up their lone win of the season against Livingston. They beat the Rangers 21-0 at home.
Freshman quarterback Luca Schmidt has passed for 442 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions for Stevi. Classmate Mylan Hill leads the team with 22 receptions for 120 yards.
Central will be on the road the next two weeks, taking on Frenchtown and Hamilton. They will close the regular season at Oct. 24 at home against Dillon.
Click here to read Bruce Sayler’s game report and full boxscore on BC’s win over Corvallis on ButteSports.com.
Helena schools spike Bulldogs
Butte High’s volleyball team went 0-2 in its matches against Helena Capital and Helena High last week.
The Bulldogs fell 3-1 at home Thursday to Capital before dropping a 3-0 decision Saturday at Helena High.
Capital beat Butte High 25-19, 23-25, 25-15, 25-21 as the Bulldogs celebrated Homecoming at the Richardson Gym. (Boxscore)
Senior Gracie Jonart, who was named Homecoming Queen a night later, spiked 15 kills in the loss. Junior Avery Barsness added nine, while senior Audry McClafferty and freshmen Ellison Graham and Saege Grey each killed six. McClafferty also registered five blocks.
Senior Makenzie Dahyuff and junior Ellie Yates each served two aces, and Graham set 35 assists.
Jonart also had a big match in the backcourt, racking up 19 digs. Junior Cadence Graham added 17 digs.
On Saturday, Helena High won 25-21, 25-18 and 25-15. (Boxscore)
Barsness tallied 12 kills, and Ellison Graham served three aces to lead the Bulldog attack. The younger Graham also collected 13 digs and set 18 assists.
The Bulldogs will play a Western AA match at Missoula Big Sky on Thursday. They will take on the Great Falls and Bozeman school in a jamboree Saturday in Butte.
Butte High will play Great Falls High at 11 a.m., Bozeman at 12:15, Great Falls Russell at 1:30 and Gallatin at 2:45.
BC volleyball hosts Dillon
Butte Central’s volleyball team will host its only match of the week Thursday when Dillon Comes to town for a 7 p.m. Southwestern A battle at the Maroon Activities Center.
Central dropped both of its conference matches last week, falling in straight sets. Frenchtown beat BC 25-10, 25-9, 25-11 in Thursday’s Homecoming match.
Two days later, Hamilton topped the Maroons 25-14, 25-5, 25-14 in Hamilton. Stats for those matches were not submitted for this report.
BC will play host to the annual Blocktober Classic tournament Oct. 10-11 at the MAC.
Flag football heads to State
Butte High’s flag football team will head to Hamilton for the State tournament Wednesday and Thursday. The Bulldogs will face three-time defending champion Kalispell Glacier in a first-round game at 4 p.m.
That comes after the Bulldogs closed the regular season Saturday with a 7-2 Senior Day loss to East Helena at Naranche Stadium. A safety by junior Brooke Johnson accounted for Butte High’s lone score as the Dogs honored seniors Allie Ballensky, Megan Flanick, Charlee Griner, Laney Huizinga and McKenna LeCoure.
Other players on the Bulldog roster are juniors Jayda Gustafson, McKenna Ketchum, Alexis King, Jaydyn Mason and Mackenzie Read; sophomores Brylee Ballensky, Iszabella Dawson, Addisyn Lambrecht, Lilyi Malone, Audrey Moore and Chyanne Robinson; and freshmen Ellie Carey, Reaghan Denning, Rylee Erickson, Kolbie Erickson, Brooklyn Hettick, Jaydyn LaBuff, Kaydee O’Connor, Willow Rose, Bella Schrapps and Kynslee Wrampe.
BC runs in Dillon
Two days after competing in the Butte High Invitational, Butte Central’s three varsity boys’ runners ran in the Dillon Invitational at the Beaverhead Golf Course. (Results)
Hamilton senior Taylor Doleac won the 5-kilometer race with a time of 16 minutes, 47 seconds. Carter Koerner of Corvallis took second at 17:00, followed by fellow Blue Devil senior Marrek Jessop at 17:12.
Junior Jack Holmes led the Maroons, finishing in 22:00.27. Eighth grader Terry Roman finished in 25:05, and junior Conan Holmes crossed in 28:14.
Corvallis ran away with the team title with 29 points. Hamilton was second at 103, followed by East Helena at 107.
Boulder won the girls’ title with 56 points, edging Frenchtown by two. Corvallis was a close third at 60.
Livingston freshman Grace Malloy won the girls’ race in 19:33. Hamilton junior Aleigha Child was second at 1952, and Boulder junior Peyton Stearns took third in 20:13.
The Maroons will run again Thursday in a meet in Hamilton. Butte High will run Friday in Three Forks. Both Butte schools will compete in the Helena 7-on-7 meet Oct. 9.
Bulldog girls battle
Butte High’s girls’ soccer team put together its best effort of the season in Saturday’s Homecoming match against Kalispell Flathead.
The Bravettes downed the Bulldogs 2-1, taking advantage of a penalty kick with less than a minute left. Lydia Revenaugh scored the goal for the Bulldogs, and coach Geno Liva pointed out that Butte High had five other shots on goal. Liva said his team played hard for all 80 minutes.
Butte High fell 10-0 Tuesday at Helena Capital.
The Bulldog boys dropped a tough, 1-0 decision to Flathead Saturday as the Braves picked up their first win of the season. Gavin Hammer scored Flathead’s goal.
The Bulldogs junior varsity team battled to a 2-all tie with Flathead, the first tie for the team this season. Capital topped Butte 9-0 on Tuesday.
The Bulldogs will be at home Saturday to take on Helena High.
Country Club hosts State AA
Five Butte High Bulldogs and three Butte Central Maroons will compete in State golf tournaments this week.
Seniors Chase Choquette and Keeley Johnston, junior Kate DeShaw, sophomore Sage Leber and eighth grader Lane Lisac qualified for the Class AA State tournament at last week’s Western AA Divisional tournament in Kalispell.
The State AA tournament will be played at the Butte Country Club Thursday and Friday. The teams will have a practice round on Wednesday.
Butte Central will be represented by three members of the McGree family at the State A tournament. Siblings Will, Beau and Mya all qualified for the State tournament at last week’s Western A tournament in Hamilton. Will is a senior, Beau is a junior and Mya is an eighth grader.
The tournament will be played Friday and Saturday at the Sidney Country Club.
-
Everyone should know the liberating feeling of losing an election
The question has been coming up more and more now as we approach one year since the 2024 General Election.
“Are you going to run again?”
I placed second in the 2024 race for chief executive of Butte-Silver Bow, and people have been asking me if I will try it again in 2028. Some people are asking because they would like to see me run again. Others, I assume, are just curious.
Maybe they want to vote against me one more time.
My answer, though, is the same. “No,” I say. “I’ve told too many people to get bent on Facebook since the election.”
And man, have I been telling a lot people to get bent on Facebook. It started the day after the election when I unloaded on some men who decided to tell lecture my daughter about her reproductive rights, or the very real threat to them.
After 13 months being on my best behavior because I was running for public office, it sure felt exhilarating to be set free by the election results. I hope all of you can experience the liberating feeling of losing an election someday.
It wasn’t that I was being a phony during the election. I only offered honest opinions about local issues. I was straight to the point and maybe a little blunt. I was so blunt in pointing out what I thought the county leaders were doing wrong that the guy who beat me in the election is still telling people that I ran a negative campaign.
I don’t get that. Pointing out that he wanted to dump toxic waste near homes or that he fell for a con man with a fake nuclear reactor was not running a negative campaign. I didn’t bring up any side jobs in college or other extracurricular activities before my opponent was elected.
That is something a negative campaigner would have done.
In my thousands of conversations with people while knocking on doors, I never once shied away from telling the truth. But I was nice about it.
The two questions I heard the most had nothing to do with the local election. People asked me if I was going to vote for Donald Trump and if I thought transgender women should play sports with girls.
I told them that I wasn’t voting for Trump, and if they asked, I told them why. I told them that their fears about transgender athletes in sports were not real. In 25 years writing about sports, I never saw one transgender athlete.
Fewer than 10 of the more than 500,000 athletes in the NCAA are transgender, yet those handful of people were used to divide the nation and distract us from the fact that the ultra-rich are taking over the country.
Despite what you might have seen in a real negative campaign, your fourth-grade daughter is not going to have to play volleyball against Caitlyn Jenner.
However, I always said that I respect the civil rights of every person, even if I do not think it is fair for transgender women to compete in women’s events. But I would fight for every person’s right to be whoever he or she wants to be.
After the election, I figured it was no more Mr. Nice Guy when it comes to people being rude on social media.
I just don’t tell off everyone on Facebook. It typically only happens when someone is being insulting.
In the days since Jimmy Kimmel was booted off the air because the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission did not like that Jimmy was making fun of Trump, I have told dozens of people to get bent. Then I blocked them so I don’t have to fight with them again.
Let me tell you, that feels great.
That is not to say that I will just block someone for disagreeing with me. I have all kinds of friends whom I do not see eye to eye with on politics. I am even friends with some weirdos who cheer for the Packers and Yankees.
I have no problem engaging in some give and take, and I am always willing to agree to disagree with someone.
But, when you go to my Facebook page and talk about what “side” I am on or tell me that I have an “agenda” or “narrative,” you can go jump off a cliff. I am not now, or never will I be, on any “side” when it comes to politics. The only side I am on is when I’m cheering for the Bears and Red Sox or watching my son play for the Bulldogs.
That is it.
In case you haven’t noticed, my association with Erik Nylund on the Mad About Montana Podcast means that politicians on both sides of the aisle in Montana dislike me at about the same rate.
I don’t like politicians who “compromise” on things like clean water. I don’t like politicians who try to get journalists and comedians fired. I don’t like politicians who are too gutless to hold townhall meetings with their constituents.
I don’t like politicians who do not tell the truth.
When Kimmel was forced off the air of a couple of weeks ago, I posted a story about it on Facebook. My only comment with the post was, “Free speech was fun while it lasted.”
With that, the insult barrage was on. People who think the FCC shutting down a late-night show was the work of a “private company” started calling me names. Really vile slurs, too.
So, I told those people to take a long walk off a short plank and I blocked them. They are still free to say whatever they want about me and my crazy free speech ideas. They are just not going to do it on my Facebook page.
I ended the argument with a very cathartic “get bent.”
One member of the Flat Earth Society jumped into the fray after Kimmel was put back on air.
“You mean like what they did to Rosanne (SIC) and Tucker Carlson?” he wrote. “It sucks when it doesn’t fit your narrative right?”
When I explained that Roseanne Barr and Tucker Carlson were not fired by the government and told him that it was his tone that sucked, he called me a bully. He said it was not fair that “someone in journalism” was torching people on Facebook.
By torching, it appears he means making a counterpoint.
For the record, I have never pushed a narrative on anyone. I will speak out to defend anyone’s right to free speech. I will even defend the Flat Earth Society’s right to be stupid.
Yes, they keep saying that we need to turn the temperature down on our political talk. Our nation is getting more divided every day, and made-up wedge issues are the main culprit.
More than that, though, we need people to speak the truth. When somebody says something that is dead wrong, good people should not remain silent. The truth might not always be nice, but it is essential.
Nice is becoming a substitute for truth and some things don’t need to be sugar coated.
Being nice is not going to protect the reproductive rights of our daughters. Being nice is not going bring down the price of eggs. Being nice is not going to stop us from being drug down a hole toward a totalitarian rule.
And if people want to call me names because they don’t agree with me, well, then they can get bent.
You see, that right there is why I am not going to run for office again in 2028. Or, who knows, maybe it is the reason I will win.
— Bill Foley, who really is a nice guy, can be reached at foles74@gmail.com. Follow him at twitter.com/Foles74 or Bluesky at @foles74.bsky.social. Listen to him on the ButteCast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
The ButteCast with Bill Foley 