How did you become a Shocker?

[shock]

Two girls that lived in the apartment right above us were friends of some of the baseball players and did their laundry. Many spring mornings I remember leaving for class or work, with a row of WSU baseball uniforms drying in the breeze on the balcony above.

Love this.

[BenWSU]

Graduated from WSU in 99. Attended quite a few basketball games from 95 onward til now. More back in mid to late 90s than current due to financial issues. Basketball games were cheap back then. Floor seats were like $20 at Henry Levitt and their was plenty of open seats.

[jcdshocker]

I guess it is in my blood. My mom has two degrees, Me, my brother, my oldest son and a nephew all graduated as Shockers. Second son and niece currently attending.

I have been shocker fan since the late 60s when I went to my first game. Went to several more off and on in the 70s but after watching Randy hit two FTs with no time left on the clock to beat Iowa I was hooked.

Graduated in 85 and missed only a few games during my 4 years. Good years to have student tickets. I have had season tickets since 1986. I have probably missed a total of 10 games in these 27 years. My boys were raised to go games as soon as they were born. It is now a great family event to attend together. Even the wife has jumped on the bandwagon.

I have been very fortunate to travel to many places to watch games. I hope to continue this tradition.

I can't imagine not being a Shocker.

[Rosewood]

great stories!!!

All of these posts about remembering the greats when they were kids makes me know I'm raising my kids right.

[wushock27]

I became a Shocker fan in the late '80's, when I was around 10 years old. The only time I ever saw the Shockers was when they were on TV for the college World Series. Being a HUGE baseball fan, seeing them in it every year led me to do some research, and I saw players such as Joe Carter, who went there. Eventually I applied there and received a partial scholarship for baseball, but couldn't attend due to financial reasons. To this day I still have my acceptance letter from WSU...

[newshock1234]

I was honesty hooked when I was a kid in the early 90s, I think it was the end of Mike Cohen tenure, all the kids at my schools would have all their KU crap on and I would be repping WSU and honestly some of the kids gave me weird looks cuz that was when we were lucky to win 9 games a year. Then I got older, decided to get my degree at WSU and it just intensified my fandom for the team.

[forevershockerfan]

Since I was born at a very early age, I still remember listening to Shocker games on the radio or watching them on the tube. Nobody in my Family but me was a big basketball fan or a Shocker Fan. I remember buying basketball mags (Still do) when I was 'knee high to a grasshoppa' every year but the Shockers were always my favorite team in all of sports. I have never attended even one class at WSU but did graduate from College which might shock some of you as much as our beloved team Shocked Bradley last night. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Then one day I actually got to meet Dave Stallworth and he was so nice and talked to me about Shocker hoops, just like he he still does when I run into him. I always remind him the positive impact he had on me as a young lad when we first met and he was always so down to earth and humble. He justs laughs but always has a passion talking about WSU basketball. So do I and everybody that knows me accepts that in me knowing I will stick with them through the tough times and the awesome times just as many of you always have and forever will.

I have met most of the current Shocker players and have to say each of them have been a joy to talk to and I believe they are each already awesome young men and wish each of them the very best in all that they do. I feel like Coach Marshall was the Coach of the Year last Season and told him so. He will be regarded by many as the best Shocker Coach ever. The Coaching Staff he has assembled right now is my favorite group ever which is one aspect of his solid success. Each of them work very hard and smart, just as our players do, and we are all reaping the benefits and satisfaction that winning brings to our heart and soul.

Sleep well tonight Shocker Nation. We have much to be grateful for and the best is yet to come.

[chicagoshocker]

Two words: Jason Perez (betcha no one else has that as a reason!). I went to WSU from 1997-2001 and one of my best friends was good friends with him. She dragged me to some games and then to the MVC Tourney in St. Louis in 1998 and after losing the first game, I was asking myself why I agreed to go with her! I moved to Wichita in middle school from Alabama, so family didn't have any history with Wichita State. I don't know that I ever even knew about Wichita State until it was time to look for scholarships.

Went to games all throughout my four years at WSU then moved to Chicago where I continue to follow the Shox on the radio, tv, on shockernet and by going to some road games at Illinois State, Bradley and MVC Tourney. No family left in Wichita, so I only get back there once a year at best.

Some fun memories:
- Celebrated my 21st bday at a Shocker game (followed by swirls and dinner at On The Border and dancing at some "club" that doesn't exist anymore)
- In Mark Turgeon's first year, he did a tour of the fraternities and sororities during Monday night meetings and basically begged us to go to games!
- All I remember about those years was that I would cringe whenever we got a fast break b/c I didn't believe that anyone could actually finish off even the easiest of plays. Glad I don't have to hold my breath on those anymore!

[chicagoshocker]

Sleep well tonight Shocker Nation. We have much to be grateful for and the best is yet to come.

Ditto!

[Speed]

Two words: Jason Perez. I went to WSU from 1997-2001 and one of my best friends was good friends with him. She dragged me to some games and then to the MVC Tourney in St. Louis in 1998 and after losing the first game, I was asking myself why I agreed to go with her! I moved to Wichita in middle school from Alabama, so family didn't have any history with Wichita State. I don't know that I ever even knew about Wichita State until it was time to look for scholarships.

Went to games all throughout my four years at WSU then moved to Chicago where I continue to follow the Shox on the radio, tv, on shockernet and by going to some road games at Illinois State, Bradley and MVC Tourney. No family left in Wichita, so I only get back there once a year at best.

Some fun memories:
- Celebrated my 21st bday at a Shocker game (followed by swirls and dinner at On The Border and dancing at some "club" that doesn't exist anymore)
- In Mark Turgeon's first year, he did a tour of the fraternities and sororities during Monday night meetings and basically begged us to go to games!
- All I remember about those years was that I would cringe whenever we got a fast break b/c I didn't believe that anyone could actually finish off even the easiest of plays. Glad I don't have to hold my breath on those anymore!

Cohen & Thompson did those tours on a weekly basis. Their players would be reaching to meet the standards. Those years are when I took a break in my life from Shocker basketball.
As a graduate, a grandson of a season ticket holder since 1951. A grade school teacher took me to games to see X/Carr. And a lot more history with my grandpa who died during the La Salle game. Go Shox.

[Shoxthemonkey]

My maternal grandfather was a custodion at the WSU ROTC building when I was in grade school. I got to meet Nate Bowman and several other players that were in the program. We had season tickets up until Ted Bredehof made it too expensive for WU employees to buy them. Grandpa couldn't say his name without some curse along with it. BTW, even after it became WSU, my folks and grandparents always refered to it as WU. I attended from 1970 until 1973, majoring in History. My father in law was diagnosed with cancer so I left school to help with the farm and never went back. Some of my earliest memories are sitting on the floor at my grandparents house and listening to Gus Grebe on the radio. I always kept track of points for both teams on a little notepad that was always in Grandma's desk. I'd give anything to have that back. Kelly Pete and Dave Leach were my favorite players. Rambling post but thanks for the chance to remember some of that. Oh, my daughter went through the vocal performance program at WSU and now sings opera with the Austin Lyric Opera. Go Shox

[B&Gpassion]

I'm fairly sure it's in my DNA. I was born in Wichita and my dad was completing his under-grad at WSU at the time. He went to North High with several eventual WSU athletes - one is being inducted to the Shocker HoF this year! Football and basketball, in particular, were followed as part of our daily lives growing up at our house. Dad finished his Masters and even spent some years as a WSU faculty member. I attended there and worked as a student assistant for 3 years. We attended football games to the last one and I always enjoyed hearing the marching band come from Duerksen and onto the north end zone to start "The U on the Move!" Favorite early basketball memory was looking forward to Gus Grebe climb up to stand on the press table and declare he was putting the game "in the 'ol deep freeze!" Black and gold have always filled my closet, and it's just what I do. My son plays in the pep band and got to travel with the team as a freshman last year all the way to Atlanta. He one-upped the old man his first year...that's OK...my DNA was there!!

[martymoose]

Great stories! Keep them coming if you got them.

[engrshock]

I am jealous of those that were able to watch Dave Stallworth and that era (except I would have to be older to have done that). The era with Cleo Littleton would have been fantastic as well but those fans are getting to be fewer and fewer. The 90's was a tough stretch of following the Shockers. The seasons all started with hope for better results. Lets never do that again.

[WSU and Reds Fan]

As a kid we moved just about every year while my Dad was in the Air Force. When he got out we moved to SW Kansas in a little town close to Liberal. This was during the late 70s and early 80s and used to watch some WSU games on TV. Then I moved to Wichita in the late 80s after getting out of the Army. Had kids so we only attended 1 to 2 games a year. Then in 2003 I decided to quit work, go to college, and get a degree.

I soon realized that going from a full time management position to a part time employee position did not pay very well, and WSU offered free, yes free tickets to all sporting events. Both my wife and I started going to all the games, Volleyball, Wbkst, Mens, and baseball. We started bringing the baby, who is now 11. The other students were fantastic with her. About the only negative was when we had to let her know you cannot say everything you hear at a basketball game in school, and some people don't think its crazy to like the Jayhawks. This is still a time that me and the wife talk about the most.

When they started the Maniacs we were some of the first in fact I remember my number was 12, and I loved when they gave me tickets to St. Louis and hotel just because I went to free games. Yes I was one of the old crowd who used to sit on the front row of the student section, one of the advantages of part time is you could make sure you had off the time to be there 6 hours early.

I love that clip Rosewood linked of that game against Creighton, because me and Zac Green (sp) had an accounting test, so instead of sitting in the student section I was sitting next to him behind the bench, and I remember the little one started asking to go potty with a couple of minutes to go in regulation. We kept delaying her until she eventually had to go, so my wife and her heard the yell when Matt hit the shot, and she stills hears about it every game we go to.