Does Your Fanhood NEED Questioning?

[SubGod22]

I only became a WSU Fan a few years ago, the first game I attended was the Western Kentucky game in the NIT, and then my family got season tickets and I haven't missed a game since.

I've also been attending a couple baseball games each year, a volleyball game, and have only missed a couple women's basketball games, and that's usually because I'm watching a men's game, so I am attending other sports just because of jumping on the men's basketball bandwagon.

I remember rooting for KU when I was younger (I'm 16 now), but that's because they were the only "local" team I knew about, I don't recall ever even knowing about Wichita State because my only information came from watching games on TV and well, WSU was never on TV.

Now I'm all WSU, over half the stuff in my closet is yellow and I've got a WuShock painted on the wall behind me. I get into arguments daily with my friends over WSU and KU stuff, and I can't believe I ever rooted for KU.

The most amazing thing about this post is how well written it is. 16? On the internet scale you write like you are 40. WTG! FWIW! LOL! Really, it's a breath of fresh air. Finally, some evidence that capitalization, grammar, punctuation and sentence structure is still being taught in the schools.

Back to the topic . . .

Being in the Hutch area I've noticed an increase in the amount of WSU apparel. It used to be that I was the only one I saw wearing any Shocker clothing. I play in a competitive church volleyball league here and at our game last week I saw two other people wearing WSU stuff. The times have changed for the better!

AndShock is a good kid. I helped coach him one year and nothing he says on here surprises me. He was definitely one kid I looked forward to coaching everyday. Very well spoken and I hear his parents are pretty good people as well.

[1972Shocker]

I am always questioning or challenging my Shocker Fandom.

Am I doing as much as I can? Am I shouldering my fair share or just riding or expecting to ride the coattails of others?

For example: I have yet to attend a Shocker Softball game. The Shocks have actually been pretty good over the past few years. I also have not attended a tennis match. Our women's team last year was outstanding. I need to rectify this.

As I have said before every dollar of support for the minor sports is a dollar the Men's Basketball program can keep in their coffers.

In addition to our Bell Cow Men's Basketball program (and I too started with Dave Stallworth):

I was a multi-year holder of two season football tickets at the time the program was shutdown. That was one time Shocker fans could not hold their heads high!

I started attending VB games in 2003 and have purchased 4 season tickets in each of the last two years. I only need 2, but enjoy introducing new fans to one of the best entertainment values currently in the Shocker arsenal. I am also a member of the Match Club. I purchased 115 tickets for the recent WSU - MSU Volleyball match which were donated to various organizations and distrubuted to friends for introduction to Shocker VB.

I have had two Women's Basketball season tickets for the past 5 years.

I attend as many baseball games as I can, but my work schedule is tough until after April 15th. I am a member of the Battery Club.

I am on the Roundhouse Renaissance Wall of Honor and will be on the Wall of Honor in the new Baseball Practice Facility.

I am 100% behind all Shocker teams, although I try not to wear blinders and will express criticism where I think it is warranted.

I consider myself small pototoes as far as financial support, but I also believe that I am doing at least, if not more, than my fair share in supporting Shocker Athletics relative to my resources.

I just completed a double-triple attending the Women's BB Exhibition, the MSU VB match and the Men's Exhibition last Thursday-Friday-Saturday and the Men's Exhibition, the Drake VB match and the Creighton VB match this Thursday-Friday-Saturday. I believe The Mad Hatter also pulled off this double-triple and I'm sure a few, but not many, other Shocker fans did the same.

Still I will continue to try to do more whenever I feel I can. I would encourage all Shocker fans to do keep looking for ways they can help our overall Athletic Program. I love winning the All-Sports trophy.

:posterwu: :goshocks: :posterwsu:

[SB Shock]

Re: Does Your Fanhood NEED Questioning?

We hear it all the time. Sometimes from other people, media or teams but mostly from ourselves.

WSU has some of the greatest fans in the country.

It's all propaganda that you probably would see/hear at a large number of schools. It make the fan bases feel better and motivated. I'm not sure how you measure who is the greatest fans (if there really is such a thing), but I think we all know that WSU fans hardly qualify.

Now if you said there is a passionate core...

[AndShock]

I only became a WSU Fan a few years ago, the first game I attended was the Western Kentucky game in the NIT, and then my family got season tickets and I haven't missed a game since.

I've also been attending a couple baseball games each year, a volleyball game, and have only missed a couple women's basketball games, and that's usually because I'm watching a men's game, so I am attending other sports just because of jumping on the men's basketball bandwagon.

I remember rooting for KU when I was younger (I'm 16 now), but that's because they were the only "local" team I knew about, I don't recall ever even knowing about Wichita State because my only information came from watching games on TV and well, WSU was never on TV.

Now I'm all WSU, over half the stuff in my closet is yellow and I've got a WuShock painted on the wall behind me. I get into arguments daily with my friends over WSU and KU stuff, and I can't believe I ever rooted for KU.

The most amazing thing about this post is how well written it is. 16? On the internet scale you write like you are 40. WTG! FWIW! LOL! Really, it's a breath of fresh air. Finally, some evidence that capitalization, grammar, punctuation and sentence structure is still being taught in the schools.

Back to the topic . . .

Being in the Hutch area I've noticed an increase in the amount of WSU apparel. It used to be that I was the only one I saw wearing any Shocker clothing. I play in a competitive church volleyball league here and at our game last week I saw two other people wearing WSU stuff. The times have changed for the better!

AndShock is a good kid. I helped coach him one year and nothing he says on here surprises me. He was definitely one kid I looked forward to coaching everyday. Very well spoken and I hear his parents are pretty good people as well.

Thanks, I really appreciate it.

[60Shock]

I think we often time get too wrapped in trying to classify fans into various definitions and groupings.

On AOL, a fan is defined as: "an enthusiastic devotee "

Notice, there is no mention of how long the individual has actually been a fan or even whether the fan attends the sporting event.

But on this board, we tend too often to classify someone or groups who have recently started following the Shockers as a band-wagon fan in a negative manner.

While, other communities (Phoenix, D.C., Boston, Kansas City) I have lived in strongly encourage fans to join "the band-wagon" when their college or pro sports teams are striving to reach the finals, World Series , or Super Bowl.

If only winning drags new people in to fill the seats and buy tickets or merchandize, so be it. After all, there are only a few ways to increase attendance. Unfortunately, increasing attendance has very seldom been a priority in Wichita.

Since Wichita had a population of approximately 250,000 people in the 1950's and WSU drew 11,000 fans to their games, and now with a population around 500,000 draws 10,500, I would contend that there must a lot of people who through the newspaper, TV, word of mouth, etc. follow the Shockers, but they are unable to attend games because of the lack of adequate seating.

Are these bandwagon fans - I think not.

To answer the question - Are Shocker fans great? I would have to say Yes, but why would you think that Shocker fans are greater than any other area?

The question then leads to - Is Wichita a great sports town?

Yes, but rarely only in support of anything but college basketball and baseball.

[KBShocker]

HockeyShock you are a true Shocker!
Back to the fan issue -- watch games on TV and look at all the empty seats, K-State who is ranked had all kinds of vacant seats down low which means the empties up top must have been huge. Even Turg down at A&M only played before 9,200 in a 12,500 seat arena this week. There are no better fans than Shockers Fans!

[kcshocker11]

HockeyShock you are a true Shocker!
Back to the fan issue -- watch games on TV and look at all the empty seats, K-State who is ranked had all kinds of vacant seats down low which means the empties up top must have been huge. Even Turg down at A&M only played before 9,200 in a 12,500 seat arena this week. There are no better fans than Shockers Fans!

Thats right! :goshocks: :posterwu: :posterwsu: 8) 8) 8)

[Maggie]

My mother and father went to WSU in the mid 60s. My grandfather was a die-hard WSU fan and absolutely HATED KU (an attitude he passed down to his grandson). WSU does have a strong core of fans that will support the program even in down times. There is a noticeable difference now in Wichita – maybe I notice it more because I don’t live there anymore. There are many more people wearing WSU apparel, etc. However, all of this goes hand in hand with a successful program.

My first basketball memories come from the late 70s and early 80s when I was 7-12 years old. I remember little things like the noise at the games and getting an autograph from Cliff Levingston at a Wendy's. My favorite player was, and still is, Xavier McDaniel. I was part of a half time show once (I was probably 11 or 12) and I remember being in complete awe as X walked past me in the tunnel. He was huge and, as usual had quite the scowl on his face. I really wish that more WSU players would play with desire and heart that X did.

During the early 90s, while in college, I attended every basketball game and went to watch the baseball team in the CWS. Back then, there were few bright spots for the basketball program but people still came to see them play.

Since leaving college, I have kept track of the basketball program – often feeling a little bit jealous of those students and fans that now watch games in a packed house. I require in game text messages from my friend, who has season tickets, every home game and I still have WSU's victory over Tennessee saved in my DVR (unless my wife erased it). For those of you that continue to disparage Mark Turgeon (I had issues with Turgeon too) – you really shouldn't be too hard on him. While the administration has done many positive things the past 10 years, Turgeon is most responsible for WSU becoming relevant again in the college basketball world. In the final equation, WSU is much better off because of his time at the school.

Do I question my fanhood? No, I do not. Do I think that WSU has the "best" fans – I have not really thought about it. That being said Koch, in my opinion, is the best arena to watch a basketball game and my list includes KU, Kentucky, Duke and Madison Square Garden to name a few. So you people do me a favor – take full advantage of the acoustics this year. No place can be more intimidating for an opponent than a WSU home game.

[ShockerInKC]

I was born the week the Shox were ranked #1.
Went to all the football games. Had season tickets including the last year.
Neither of my folks are WSU grads, they moved to Wichita in the 60's and my dad adopted the hometown team. He taught me to hate KSU, but to hate KU more (but to be polite about it).
Went to Cheese Johnson's last game, never saw such a sight as those cheese slices twirling through the air down to the court. Got season BB tix for Gene Smithson's first year. Was a student the year we beat KSU and KU (I think both at home - imagine that happening now). Kept my tix untill the 90s when I had to leave town for work. 4 years ago I decided 400 (rt) miles wasn't too far to drive for home games. I've since met folks who drive and fly from farther out. I see shocker gear for sale in KC, and run into fans wearing their gear (especially Cabela's and NFM).

My wife is a big10 alum - she says the Shocker games are more fun (this after years of seeing IU / MU / MSU /... and Notre Dame games!!)

Whatever your reasons for being a fan, remember they are just as valid as anyone else's.

[Snapshot9]

in a word - no. I don't know if anyone has the right to question someone's loyalty as a fan because there are many more affecting factors involved, like jobs, family, money, outside associations.

Fact of life - Most everyone loves a winner, and most everyone does not like to suffer along with a loser.

Losing has never set well with me, at anything, but especially sports and business.

[rrshock]

in a word - no. I don't know if anyone has the right to question someone's loyalty as a fan because there are many more affecting factors involved, like jobs, family, money, outside associations.

Fact of life - Most everyone loves a winner, and most everyone does not like to suffer along with a loser.

Losing has never set well with me, at anything, but especially sports and business.

Except for the fact that many of us on here and many other fans did suffer through the bad times. To get 6-7K per game and only win 10 games in a season says alot. I know I stuck with them through the bad times, and I'm sure you did too. That's what makes a true, die-hard fan, IMO. Granted the current students probably don't remember the bad times, but anyone around my age (29 in 5 days), or older does.

Having seen games in several other arenas, I still think that Koch is by far the best experience, night in and night out. Yes, KU can make for a good one, but not every game. KSU will never make for one (unless it is filled with the KU people, and then it's still not a good environment for the Kitties). The old Gallagher IBA might have been better, but it's not around anymore and the new one isn't that great. Omaha Civic was a noisy place, but didn't even start to compare. I haven't been to Qwest, but can't imagine it is better either. There is really no place like Koch, and I hope that everyone does realize that. It was way before it's time when it was built, and for all intentions purposes, it still is on top of its game.

[AndShock]

I've been to 2 KU Games (Colorado and Pacific), neither of which were even close to Koch Arena.

I've also been to a game in the Qwest Center, and to be totally honest, I thought it was much less noisy than the game I went to in Springfield.

[vbird53]

I've been to 2 KU Games (Colorado and Pacific), neither of which were even close to Koch Arena.

I've also been to a game in the Qwest Center, and to be totally honest, I thought it was much less noisy than the game I went to in Springfield.

That appears to be the reason for the nickname: the Quiet Center

[WSUxfanaticx4xlife]

I have had a seat at the games since i was a baby, thanks to my grandparents, and now WSU is a huge part of my life. I have gotten in many arguements with KU and K-State fans about how WSU is great.

Like AndShock my closet if pretty much half yellow and black, and I'm in high school (freshman). I have always rooted for WSU and at times have gotten a lot of crap about it.

Now people are coming up to me while wearing my Shocker appareal asking me where I got it.
Yeah times are changing

[KC Shox]

Apparently my fanhood needs to be evaluated. According to Cold Blooded, I'm not qualified.