Perhaps it's just the time of year......
I have to admit a mild case of deja vu' recently. I keep thinking back to Christmas 2006....my daughter was just starting school, the Shocks coming off a Sweet 16 run and on fire to start the 06-07 season, ranked in the top 10. We load up the family and friends and head out on vacation with a lot of excitement, confidence and the highest of expectations. The world is our oyster.
3 short months later and all that is distant memory. A season inexplicably lost, questions all around, dissent amongst the troops and our coach gone. The bandwagoneers have long since gone back to wearing their Rock Chalk gear and many of us are expecting Scott Sutton to be named the next coach.
Fast forward now 7 amazing years. The program is much stronger than it's ever been. The list of supporters is a who's who of successful Wichitans. The support is strong, the pockets deep, and the run of success is unmatched in Shocker history. Not only basketball, but especially basketball, is strong, deep, clean and poised to take even further strides upward and onward.
There are surreal moments. Coach Barnes and Coach Purnell in the lobby of the team hotel last night...SURROUNDED by Shocker fans. Rick Barnes, a man who has been successful for years, has taken the UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, who could list a guy like Tom Devlin on their "others who contributed" page, to the NCAA 14 out of 15 seasons, has been to a Final Four, been named Big12 Coach of the Year no less than 3 times and needs a team of accountants to process his checks each month that add up to approximately a gozillion dollars a year.....550+ career wins Rick Barnes,,,,can't find a friend in the world. Looking for any help he can find, and shaking his head at the support of SHOCKERNATION.
Coach Purnell seemed to be lobbying for perhaps an assistant's gig next season. Keenly aware that multiple Shocker assistants will be ripe pickings for upcoming job openings, Oliver would be interested in filling in for a couple of seasons while the ADs around the country forget (he hopes) how he was the most over paid coach in the history of sports at DePaul. Never have I seen a guy do so little with so much. I don't know if he's Catholic, but he should be required to say a couple thousand Hail Marys every time he cashes a check. At one point last night I wasn't sure that security wouldn't go over and cuff him for Grand Theft Coaching. To think he makes more than 3G.....sickening. I do think he was turned off at the end though. He seemingly was thinking he could get a nice soft position not requiring much work (as if he works now) but realized that all the WSU coaches bust their asses. He got someone to buy him a cold one and departed shortly thereafter,,,I'm sure to scout the Longhorns (insert sarcasm emoticon).
Neither of these 2 coaches can find a friend in the world. Our coaches are surrounded by love. Steve Forbes looks around and wonders what the hell is going on...why are all these people here? Are they all really WSU fans? They are, but even he seems surprised. Chris Jans smiles a wry smile as if to say, yeah, this is pretty good stuff. Go where you are loved folks.
There have been annoying moments too.,,,for instance, last night's game. A lot of new WSU fans around. I don't need to hear new fan Johnny scream at the top of his lungs, Johnny, who still wonders why we dropped basketball after X graduated and just started it up again last spring, yes, that Johnny, scream that he doesn't care for Carter not getting a rebound, Baker missing too many free throws or for WSU to "start taking care of the ball" when the team commits their 1st turnover in 7 minutes. These are the same people that spend more time heckling the opponents than cheering their own team.
You know what? Don't. Just be quiet, or better yet, stay home and iron your EcoKat tights or rehang your Coach Self fathead toupe in your Hawks Crossing mancave. Don't disrespect the 1000s of GREAT Shocker fans that have helped to make this program what it is today. You aren't wanted. Just be classy and cheer YOUR team.
Now, I say this with levity. Many times throughout the evening, I'm thinking about @pogo: and if he and his better half are able to enjoy the tournament like they should. I hope they are and I've prayed that they are and that they will be able to for so much more....because in the end my friends, that's all that matters. The rest is just a game. It's about our friends and our families and how we care about each other and enjoying the moment because you never know if or when the next one will come. EVER.
MyState is ENJOYING THE RIDE. And I'm enjoying the living hell out of things right now, and I hope you are too.
Go Shocks!
I have to admit a mild case of deja vu' recently. I keep thinking back to Christmas 2006....my daughter was just starting school, the Shocks coming off a Sweet 16 run and on fire to start the 06-07 season, ranked in the top 10. We load up the family and friends and head out on vacation with a lot of excitement, confidence and the highest of expectations. The world is our oyster.
3 short months later and all that is distant memory. A season inexplicably lost, questions all around, dissent amongst the troops and our coach gone. The bandwagoneers have long since gone back to wearing their Rock Chalk gear and many of us are expecting Scott Sutton to be named the next coach.
Fast forward now 7 amazing years. The program is much stronger than it's ever been. The list of supporters is a who's who of successful Wichitans. The support is strong, the pockets deep, and the run of success is unmatched in Shocker history. Not only basketball, but especially basketball, is strong, deep, clean and poised to take even further strides upward and onward.
There are surreal moments. Coach Barnes and Coach Purnell in the lobby of the team hotel last night...SURROUNDED by Shocker fans. Rick Barnes, a man who has been successful for years, has taken the UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, who could list a guy like Tom Devlin on their "others who contributed" page, to the NCAA 14 out of 15 seasons, has been to a Final Four, been named Big12 Coach of the Year no less than 3 times and needs a team of accountants to process his checks each month that add up to approximately a gozillion dollars a year.....550+ career wins Rick Barnes,,,,can't find a friend in the world. Looking for any help he can find, and shaking his head at the support of SHOCKERNATION.
Coach Purnell seemed to be lobbying for perhaps an assistant's gig next season. Keenly aware that multiple Shocker assistants will be ripe pickings for upcoming job openings, Oliver would be interested in filling in for a couple of seasons while the ADs around the country forget (he hopes) how he was the most over paid coach in the history of sports at DePaul. Never have I seen a guy do so little with so much. I don't know if he's Catholic, but he should be required to say a couple thousand Hail Marys every time he cashes a check. At one point last night I wasn't sure that security wouldn't go over and cuff him for Grand Theft Coaching. To think he makes more than 3G.....sickening. I do think he was turned off at the end though. He seemingly was thinking he could get a nice soft position not requiring much work (as if he works now) but realized that all the WSU coaches bust their asses. He got someone to buy him a cold one and departed shortly thereafter,,,I'm sure to scout the Longhorns (insert sarcasm emoticon).
Neither of these 2 coaches can find a friend in the world. Our coaches are surrounded by love. Steve Forbes looks around and wonders what the hell is going on...why are all these people here? Are they all really WSU fans? They are, but even he seems surprised. Chris Jans smiles a wry smile as if to say, yeah, this is pretty good stuff. Go where you are loved folks.
There have been annoying moments too.,,,for instance, last night's game. A lot of new WSU fans around. I don't need to hear new fan Johnny scream at the top of his lungs, Johnny, who still wonders why we dropped basketball after X graduated and just started it up again last spring, yes, that Johnny, scream that he doesn't care for Carter not getting a rebound, Baker missing too many free throws or for WSU to "start taking care of the ball" when the team commits their 1st turnover in 7 minutes. These are the same people that spend more time heckling the opponents than cheering their own team.
You know what? Don't. Just be quiet, or better yet, stay home and iron your EcoKat tights or rehang your Coach Self fathead toupe in your Hawks Crossing mancave. Don't disrespect the 1000s of GREAT Shocker fans that have helped to make this program what it is today. You aren't wanted. Just be classy and cheer YOUR team.
Now, I say this with levity. Many times throughout the evening, I'm thinking about @pogo: and if he and his better half are able to enjoy the tournament like they should. I hope they are and I've prayed that they are and that they will be able to for so much more....because in the end my friends, that's all that matters. The rest is just a game. It's about our friends and our families and how we care about each other and enjoying the moment because you never know if or when the next one will come. EVER.
MyState is ENJOYING THE RIDE. And I'm enjoying the living hell out of things right now, and I hope you are too.
Go Shocks!
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