Somebody Help Me, I’m Going Soft!
You know that sappy and sickening Sheraton ad that’s out right now, the one where archrivals suddenly discover their common humanity simply because they’re both Starwood Preferred Guests and are hanging out at the same hotel?
Don’t look now, but something like that is happening to me.
Basically, I didn’t take tremendous joy in the Tarheels demise like a true-Blue Duke fan should. Oh, it had its moments (especially when Psycho T finally got called for traveling), but I didn’t dig the schadenfreude as much as I thought I would.
Rooting against a team and watching them lose just doesn’t produce the same buzz as pulling for a winning team. I don’t really give a rat’s patooty about Kansas, and ultimately it just didn’t matter.
And then there was that moment when they showed Hansbrough’s dad after the game in the stands and he looked like he was about to lose it and all of a sudden I found myself actually relating to him as a human being and not just the mastermind behind Psycho T, Basketball Cyborg.
As a fellow dad who has always gone to his sons’ sporting events and cheered them on through thick and thin and stood there disappointed along with them when they’ve come up short, I understood.
Like I said: Somebody help me, I’m going soft! Greg? JRB? Anybody?
18 Comments
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That Girl
It’s nice to hear this news.
Donna
That Girl may push you right back over the edge…
It is not as sweet is it? When my Driver can’t win or my team doesn’t make the finals the pazzazz goes out of the event for me. And I hate it when I start feeling sorry for a team that I love to hate…
Mike the Eyeguy
Yeah, I hate it when “my driver” doesn’t win either…
Wait…are we still talking about sports? š
cg
Have you ever seen anything as beautiful as the 40-12 run in the first half? – or the 30-11 run to end the game after letting the Tarheels get within 4?
KU systematically dismantled UNC for you – twice in one game – squashed ’em like a junebug, and you “don’t give a rats patooty”??? I’m hurt.
Oh Lord, please forgive Eyeguy of his shortsightedness, as he did ask us to play the game of our life on Saturday against his dreaded rival, and please continue to deliver us from East Coast bias… Amen.
Mike the Eyeguy
There we go–a much needed major intervention. A cold, hard slap in the face. Thanks cg, I needed that. Pray for me in my hour of weakness.
Come to think of it, I did offer up a “Brawhahaha” or two during those 40-12 and 30-11 runs.
Thank you Jayhawk Nation. May your rocks be rocky and chalk chalky against the street-balling Tigers, led by the smooth-talking, sartorially splendourous Calipari.
Still, didn’t the sight of the teary-eyed Papa Hansbrough get to you just a little bit? All those hopes, all those dreams, just so much “dust in the wind.”
greg
What’s wrong with you??
I would agree that I kind of felt for Travel’s dad. I don’t even really dislike Hansbrough as he seems to be a good kid. He just plays for the wrong team. And gets away with a LOT (which is not uncommon for top players.)
However, I thoroughly enjoyed Saturday night. When it hit 40-12, I was shouting and laughing with such glee that my 4-year-old came in the room and told me I was scaring him. I apologized but told him to get used to it.
Hansbrough could not get the calls he’s used to, and had nothing else. He still managed 17, but couldn’t get to the line with as often as usual since the phantom calls he usually gets weren’t being made.
Lawson … did he even play?
Kansas had three big guys who came to play. UNC only had one, and he was struggling for a fair amount of the game. Stephenson and Thompson provided nothing for UNC.
By the way, I read this morning from a NC newspaper that one guy who covers UNC believes Lawson and Ellington will leave, but TH will stay.
I don’t care who wins tonight. It won’t be UNC, and that’s all that matters.
Mike the Eyeguy
I think I’m just having flashbacks to Number One’s final soccer match last year (click here). I’m sure I’ll get over it.
Interesting bit of news about Ellington and Lawson and TH. Really, what could TH possible do to raise his stock any higher? I say he goes–especially if Ellington and Lawson leave too.
cg
http://www.kansas.com/sports/lutz/story/365016.html
I’ve always known of KU’s rich basketball coaching history and tradition (i.e. James Naismith, Phog Allen, Owens, Brown, ect.), but I didn’t know of John Calipari’s connection to it as well.
Mike the Eyeguy
Well, we’re just all one big happy Jayhawk family, aren’t we?
Let’s all hold hands and sing “Kumbaya.”
greg
I heard them mention that sometime this weekend – Calipari’s and Self’s connection to Brown. I wasn’t aware of it either.
I heard a KU grad on Kornheiser’s radio show last week talking about how all things college basketball came from Kansas. Those mentioned above, and of course, Dean Smith and Adolph Rupp. Pretty good point. Hard to beat that kind of heritage.
Mike the Eyeguy
You know, I saw a Larry Brown quote that said that he’d be wearing “something neutral” on Saturday, but unless the color is off on my TV, that shot of him in the stands showed him wearing a sky blue shirt.
Mike the Eyeguy
cg, you’ll pleased to know that people are coming to my blog today via the search term “Our Father who Art in Lawrence.”
Must be a lot of praying going on out there today in the Jayhawk Nation.
cg
Well, how ’bout that!!
You know, prayer IS a powerful tool, and yes, I’m rather pleased-hope you are also. I’m ‘crimson and blue’ proud too š
Rock Chalk!!!
Mike the Eyeguy
I’ll take traffic any way I can get it; I’m not picky! š
JRB
Certainly savoring the rival’s loss is not as sweet as rejoicing in your beloved’s own victory. Even so, bitterness can get you through the cold night if you nourish it properly. As one who supports a team rarely in the hunt at the end of a season, I take it how I can get it.
I still get a little trippy pondering the absence of any gators skulking around the joint.
Mike the Eyeguy
“Even so, bitterness can get you through the cold night if you nourish it properly. ”
Spoken like a true Southerner!
You’ll have to forgive our resident no-show Gators (and there are some out there among the Fusioneers). Having joined an elite few who have won a national title only to not join The Dance the next year, I’m sure they’re off celebrating somewhere.
And yes, I am conveniently ignoring the fact that they won two in a row.
cg
Kansas 75 Memphis 68
Finally, after 20 years… It’s good to bring a National Title home to the birthplace of college basketball once in while.
ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK!!!!!!
Mike the Eyeguy
They done good. I thought they were toast at the end of regulation. But that was before Memphis went to the “charity” stripe.
Congrats, cg, I’m happy for you and all your Jayhawk brethren.