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Travis Releford is no Anthony Bourdain

Final Four Kentucky Kansas Basketball

Kansas guard Travis Releford reacts in the locker room after their 67-59 loss to Kentucky in the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball championship game Monday, April 2, 2012, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) 24

AP

This time of year, I spend quite a bit of time being jealous of college athletes, for reasons that are, for once, unrelated to their superior athletic ability.

In summer, I envy the hundreds of college kids who take overseas basketball trips. Travel broadens the mind, after all. And, in my case, it almost always broadens the stomach, as well. Exploring exotic cuisine is one of the true joys of going on sabbatical in another country. For most of us, that is.

Travis Releford, who will be a redshirt senior for the Kansas Jayhawks next season, isn’t such a fan of the movable feast.

“I can’t say I’ve had anything good that’s not American overseas,” Releford told the Lawrence Journal-World. “I don’t have a favorite food here. I eat everything.”

It’s not that Releford hasn’t had his opportunities, either. Basketball has taken him to Canada, Argentina and China thus far. This August, the brasseries of Paris and Zurich will vie for the opportunity to charm Releford’s palate. Or, more likely, they will be completely unaware that a gourmand of home-cooking is in their midst, silently judging them.

Then again, there’s always french fries, french toast and swiss cheese for the discerning American palate. Right?