Southeast's biggest fan honored at Wichita Sports Hall of Fame

Bob McFarland wasn't much of an athlete growing up.

The 63-year-old ran a little bit of junior varsity cross country and track at Southeast High School in the mid '60s, and again when he went to college at Friends University.

His athletic ability didn't keep him from being inducted into the 2011 class of the Wichita Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday afternoon.

"I'm kind of speechless. This is a great honor," McFarland said. "It came as a surprise."

Unlike most of his fellow inductees, McFarland wasn't recognized for his accomplishments on the field. Instead, it was for his time spent in the stands cheering on his high school alma mater.

Since 1974, McFarland said he has been to an estimated 5,500 Southeast athletic events.

"Over the years that I went to the games, it was a situation that if I wasn't there I felt like a fish out of water," McFarland said. "That's what kept me coming back."

"It's like the 'Cheers' show. You want to go where everybody knows your name. I knew that if I was at Southeast following the team, everybody knew I was there. And everybody was supporting me."

His hobby wasn't limited to the popular sports like football and basketball. McFarland went to as many events as he could fit in his schedule, sometimes as many as 10 a week.

He went to home and away games, junior varsity and varsity, in every sport the Golden Buffaloes competed in.

"Anyone who has that kind of passion in their life is lucky. That's why he is such a great inductee because he's the type of person who gave and gave and gave," Wichita Sports Hall of Fame president Paul Savage said. "He went to thousands of games and made thousands of friends along the way. He's an institution. A special person."

The Wichita Sports Hall of Fame presented two plaques to McFarland. One will be displayed in the trophy case at Southeast.

"Bob's been a part of Southeast for a long time. He's a true fan," Southeast athletic director Mike Lamb said. "The kids know who Bob is, and they enjoy him being around. Southeast has a place in his heart, and it has for some time. No question about it."

With almost 40 years of sporting events under his belt, it's difficult to pick out a favorite Southeast memory, McFarland said.

"I have some fond memories of particular games, as far as championships we've won," he said. "I also have bigger memories of the smaller games. Big comeback wins in games that aren't all that important."

For McFarland, it's less about winning and more about effort. He said he's the happiest when the kids are trying their best. He would know too. In sports like track, he follows the athletes' personal-best times.

No matter how Southeast performs in the future, McFarland will continue to be in the stands keeping statistics and cheering on the Golden Buffaloes.

"I don't plan on stopping anytime soon," he said.

2011 Inductees

Individuals: Pete Cannady, Reuben Eckels, Bill Himebaugh, Randy Jackson, Mike Kennedy, Bob McFarland, Duwane Miller, Nadine Oppliger, Maureen Rohleder, Johnny Stevens, Chet Wilson.

Team Induction: 1988 Chilton National Champions Bowling Team.

Organizational Induction: National Baseball Congress.

Mal Elliott Sports Media Award: Kirk Seminoff, The Wichita Eagle

This story was originally published June 12, 2011 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Southeast's biggest fan honored at Wichita Sports Hall of Fame."