Monday, April 07, 2008
Then there were two...
"There's no place like Kansas."
It all comes down to tonight...I think I might have said that in my last post, but it's really true today. Saturday was awesome...and then it was terrifying...and then it was awesome again. I hope that tonight is just awesome...at least at the end! This is extremely cheesy and you can make fun of me all you want, but I've waited my entire life for a Kansas National Championship. I hope that ends tonight...not for my sake, but because Kansas basketball is the best.
I don't remember the 88 Championship. I was too young to pay attention to what was going on. I remember my parents watching...I remember later raiding my dad's closet for that National Champions t-shirt that he bought. I remember stealing it and wearing it to bed (because I was only six and it was too big to wear anywhere else). I remember the heartbreak of 91...at least I was heartbroken...because that was when I started to care. I'm pretty sure I can tell you who we lost to each year after that...because even though I'm "just" a fan...it matters. The sun doesn't rise and set by the Kansas Jayhawks. My world is not complete when they win. I'm not going to die if they lose. The sun will rise tomorrow morning regardless of what happens tonight. But it would sure be nice if we win!
If you're not a fan or even if you are a fan but are new to the whole thing, you really don't understand. Give it a few years...and you might. Regardless of what happens tonight, this year has been amazing! It's been so much fun watching my good friend come to love my team. It's been a blast introducing all the traditions that make Kansas basketball so special to the people in my world. It's been fun sharing this ride with new and old friends alike...as well as with family. I've said for a long time that one of my favorite subjects in all of the world is Kansas basketball. That's not going to change, no matter what happens tonight. It'll just be a little bit sweeter...hopefully.
Rock Chalk Jayhawk!
KJo
It all comes down to tonight...I think I might have said that in my last post, but it's really true today. Saturday was awesome...and then it was terrifying...and then it was awesome again. I hope that tonight is just awesome...at least at the end! This is extremely cheesy and you can make fun of me all you want, but I've waited my entire life for a Kansas National Championship. I hope that ends tonight...not for my sake, but because Kansas basketball is the best.
I don't remember the 88 Championship. I was too young to pay attention to what was going on. I remember my parents watching...I remember later raiding my dad's closet for that National Champions t-shirt that he bought. I remember stealing it and wearing it to bed (because I was only six and it was too big to wear anywhere else). I remember the heartbreak of 91...at least I was heartbroken...because that was when I started to care. I'm pretty sure I can tell you who we lost to each year after that...because even though I'm "just" a fan...it matters. The sun doesn't rise and set by the Kansas Jayhawks. My world is not complete when they win. I'm not going to die if they lose. The sun will rise tomorrow morning regardless of what happens tonight. But it would sure be nice if we win!
If you're not a fan or even if you are a fan but are new to the whole thing, you really don't understand. Give it a few years...and you might. Regardless of what happens tonight, this year has been amazing! It's been so much fun watching my good friend come to love my team. It's been a blast introducing all the traditions that make Kansas basketball so special to the people in my world. It's been fun sharing this ride with new and old friends alike...as well as with family. I've said for a long time that one of my favorite subjects in all of the world is Kansas basketball. That's not going to change, no matter what happens tonight. It'll just be a little bit sweeter...hopefully.
Rock Chalk Jayhawk!
KJo
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Dancing tonight...
"There's no place like Kansas."
Well...today is the day. The longest week in the history of man is finally over. I will either go to bed tonight a very happy Jayhawk or....not a happy one. It's time to let the players decide it. I've heard all the commentaries and why everybody thinks so and so will win and why. Not many are "predicting" Kansas to come out of tonight's game, much less win the whole thing on Monday night. I think our guys are okay with the whole underdog thing though.
One last statement on the whole Roy Williams thing... I, for one, am glad that Roy Williams is not the coach at Kansas. I have no problem with Roy Williams. I certainly have no problem with him not being the coach at Kansas. Because...if he hadn't left, Coach Self wouldn't be our coach. And I'm really glad that Bill Self is our coach.
Tonight is about Russell Robinson and how he is the most overlooked and undervalued player is this Final Four. RussRob might not be best scorer in the world or as fast as Ty Lawson or as good as Derrik Rose...but that's okay. He doesn't need to be. He just needs to be the Jayhawk that he is...the one that's been the heart and soul of this team the last three years. Tonight is about Mario Chalmers and the way he quietly, yet very effectively takes over games. It's about his passion and quiet confidence. It's about Brandon Rush stepping up his intensity and putting it all on the line when the team needs him the most. Brandon's had his moments, but there is no one that I'd rather have on my team right now. Tonight is about Darrell "Shady" Arthur playing to his potential...against a player who has been heralded as the best and the toughest in college basketball. It's Shady showing his worth...and if you ask me, he's invaluable. Tonight is about Darnell Jackson...what do you say about Darnell? The guy has faced so much adversity...and he's an over comer. He's a winner. I know his back has been bothering him, but there is no player who is more inspirational than Darnell Jackson. Tonight is about Sasha Kaun playing like the beast he is. Sometimes people get down on Sasha because he doesn't exactly have the softest touch, but hey...how can you not love the big Russian? Tonight is about Sherron Collins...our little spark-plug. Sherron has this uncanny ability to turn a tense moment into something entirely different. He's as quick as anybody and plays with so much toughness. Tonight is Rod Stewart breaking his knee in practice having fun with his teammates. It's him staying to be with his team...when he should be at home having surgery. It's Jeremy, Cole, Ty, Connnor, Matt, Brennan, Chase, Brad, and Brady...doing everything they can to make the rest of the team the best they can be...even when that means that they don't get to play much. The game is Coach Self coaching in his first Final Four...it's him loving and giving his all to Kansas because Kansas is the best place in the nation to coach. Tonight is about Kansas...nothing else.
So...I'm hoping it's definitely a Rock Chalk night...because I'm not ready to say goodbye to what has been one of the most fun seasons that I can remember. And mostly because I just want to see these guys win it all. That's mostly it...:)
Rock Chalk!
KJo
Well...today is the day. The longest week in the history of man is finally over. I will either go to bed tonight a very happy Jayhawk or....not a happy one. It's time to let the players decide it. I've heard all the commentaries and why everybody thinks so and so will win and why. Not many are "predicting" Kansas to come out of tonight's game, much less win the whole thing on Monday night. I think our guys are okay with the whole underdog thing though.
One last statement on the whole Roy Williams thing... I, for one, am glad that Roy Williams is not the coach at Kansas. I have no problem with Roy Williams. I certainly have no problem with him not being the coach at Kansas. Because...if he hadn't left, Coach Self wouldn't be our coach. And I'm really glad that Bill Self is our coach.
Tonight is about Russell Robinson and how he is the most overlooked and undervalued player is this Final Four. RussRob might not be best scorer in the world or as fast as Ty Lawson or as good as Derrik Rose...but that's okay. He doesn't need to be. He just needs to be the Jayhawk that he is...the one that's been the heart and soul of this team the last three years. Tonight is about Mario Chalmers and the way he quietly, yet very effectively takes over games. It's about his passion and quiet confidence. It's about Brandon Rush stepping up his intensity and putting it all on the line when the team needs him the most. Brandon's had his moments, but there is no one that I'd rather have on my team right now. Tonight is about Darrell "Shady" Arthur playing to his potential...against a player who has been heralded as the best and the toughest in college basketball. It's Shady showing his worth...and if you ask me, he's invaluable. Tonight is about Darnell Jackson...what do you say about Darnell? The guy has faced so much adversity...and he's an over comer. He's a winner. I know his back has been bothering him, but there is no player who is more inspirational than Darnell Jackson. Tonight is about Sasha Kaun playing like the beast he is. Sometimes people get down on Sasha because he doesn't exactly have the softest touch, but hey...how can you not love the big Russian? Tonight is about Sherron Collins...our little spark-plug. Sherron has this uncanny ability to turn a tense moment into something entirely different. He's as quick as anybody and plays with so much toughness. Tonight is Rod Stewart breaking his knee in practice having fun with his teammates. It's him staying to be with his team...when he should be at home having surgery. It's Jeremy, Cole, Ty, Connnor, Matt, Brennan, Chase, Brad, and Brady...doing everything they can to make the rest of the team the best they can be...even when that means that they don't get to play much. The game is Coach Self coaching in his first Final Four...it's him loving and giving his all to Kansas because Kansas is the best place in the nation to coach. Tonight is about Kansas...nothing else.
So...I'm hoping it's definitely a Rock Chalk night...because I'm not ready to say goodbye to what has been one of the most fun seasons that I can remember. And mostly because I just want to see these guys win it all. That's mostly it...:)
Rock Chalk!
KJo
Friday, April 04, 2008
Why it's not about what everyone is making it about...
Okay...here's the Final Four talk of the day...it's actually more of a rant.
If you've been following the news stories this week surrounding the Final Four, you would most likely deduce that the game is Roy Williams against the Kansas fans...or something like that. Now Coach Williams has spent the entire week trying to remind the media that the game is actually between the Kansas players and the Carolina players, but somehow it still manages to come back to Coach Williams versus his old school, Kansas. I read at least two articles today about that very thing. The media just doesn't get it. All they want to talk about is how bitter the Kansas fans are against Roy Williams for leaving five years ago. It's all North Carolina people saying "get over it..." It's Roy Williams trying to defend his decision by saying how he gave his heart and soul to Kansas for 15 years...it's all about what he gave to Kansas. I'm not disputing the fact that Roy Williams gave all of or at least most of himself to Kansas for 15 wonderful years. I'm not hating Roy...I loved Roy at Kansas. But you can't blame me for not exactly cheering for him at Carolina...because it really has absolutely nothing to do with Roy Williams.
I think that Roy Williams is one of, if not the greatest college basketball coach of my lifetime. Notice, I said my life...not ever. He inspires a great amount of loyalty from fans and players. He's one of the most passionate college coaches there is. He's a winner...plain and simple. If Roy Williams had left Kansas the first time I don't believe there would have been any "hard feelings" whatsoever. Everyone expected that to happen...I don't know for sure, but I'd venture to say that Roy Williams himself expected it too. Kansas fans wouldn't have blamed him a bit for choosing to leave. Who wouldn't want to coach at their alma mater? It would have been okay...
Here's what is not okay about the whole situation...
In 2003 Kansas was playing in the Final Four...their second in as many years. It was supposed to be their year...the year Roy Williams finally took Kansas all the way and brought a Championship back to Rock Chalk Land. Now here is what happened... North Carolina fired their coach three days before the Final Four began. Immediately all the talk switched from being about Kansas in the Final Four and about the Kansas seniors who represented themselves and the University with unbelievable poise and passion. It was no longer Kansas' Final Four... it was all about Carolina. It was all anyone would talk about... "Is Roy Williams leaving?" You know, he turned down Dean Smith and Carolina before, surely he won't do it again"...blah blah blah. I don't think I'll ever forget one of the interviews at half-time of the championship game...that Kansas was playing in. It was a former Carolina player talking about Roy Williams coming to Carolina. Now why anyone would interview a Carolina player during a Kansas ball game, I have no idea, but that player proceeded to make a comment that has been the epitome of why Kansas fans have such a problem with the whole Roy to Carolina thing. He said, referring to why Carolina deserves to have the best coach in the nation, that Roy Williams should leave Kansas because "this is North Carolina." Well bully for you. This is Kansas. The issue now is with Carolina turning Kansas' Final Four into "we deserve to have the best coach in the nation because we're Carolina" that makes Kansas blood boil. Have some class...Carolina could have waited a week to fire their coach. Then maybe Kansas fans wouldn't hate them so much and this Final Four would be about who and what it should be about.
My problem is not with Roy Williams going to North Carolina. Granted, I didn't like it at the time. I learned to love college basketball while Roy Williams was at Kansas. I was so excited when he announced that he was staying at Kansas in 2000. I loved Roy Williams coaching at Kansas. Yeah, I was upset that he left Kansas...even more upset that Jerod probably would have been sitting on the Kansas bench the next year as one of the assistants. However, I don't now or have I ever hated Roy Williams. He left...we moved on. And we have an awesome coach in Bill Self. I couldn't be happier with our Coach and staff now. I love Coach Self!
That being said...don't write articles telling the Kansas fans how they feel about Roy Williams and then criticizing them for it. And don't write articles telling me how I should feel about Roy Williams. You're putting words in our mouths. Really...for most, if not all of the Kansas fans I know, their "issue" if they have one has absolutely nothing to do with Coach Williams; it has everything to do with Carolina. I once cheered for North Carolina every time they played anyone other than Kansas. That stopped five years ago. Don't criticize me for that... The game on Saturday isn't Roy Williams versus the Kansas fans. It's Kansas versus North Carolina and I for one, hope we kick their Tar Heel tails.
Rock Chalk Jayhawk!
If you've been following the news stories this week surrounding the Final Four, you would most likely deduce that the game is Roy Williams against the Kansas fans...or something like that. Now Coach Williams has spent the entire week trying to remind the media that the game is actually between the Kansas players and the Carolina players, but somehow it still manages to come back to Coach Williams versus his old school, Kansas. I read at least two articles today about that very thing. The media just doesn't get it. All they want to talk about is how bitter the Kansas fans are against Roy Williams for leaving five years ago. It's all North Carolina people saying "get over it..." It's Roy Williams trying to defend his decision by saying how he gave his heart and soul to Kansas for 15 years...it's all about what he gave to Kansas. I'm not disputing the fact that Roy Williams gave all of or at least most of himself to Kansas for 15 wonderful years. I'm not hating Roy...I loved Roy at Kansas. But you can't blame me for not exactly cheering for him at Carolina...because it really has absolutely nothing to do with Roy Williams.
I think that Roy Williams is one of, if not the greatest college basketball coach of my lifetime. Notice, I said my life...not ever. He inspires a great amount of loyalty from fans and players. He's one of the most passionate college coaches there is. He's a winner...plain and simple. If Roy Williams had left Kansas the first time I don't believe there would have been any "hard feelings" whatsoever. Everyone expected that to happen...I don't know for sure, but I'd venture to say that Roy Williams himself expected it too. Kansas fans wouldn't have blamed him a bit for choosing to leave. Who wouldn't want to coach at their alma mater? It would have been okay...
Here's what is not okay about the whole situation...
In 2003 Kansas was playing in the Final Four...their second in as many years. It was supposed to be their year...the year Roy Williams finally took Kansas all the way and brought a Championship back to Rock Chalk Land. Now here is what happened... North Carolina fired their coach three days before the Final Four began. Immediately all the talk switched from being about Kansas in the Final Four and about the Kansas seniors who represented themselves and the University with unbelievable poise and passion. It was no longer Kansas' Final Four... it was all about Carolina. It was all anyone would talk about... "Is Roy Williams leaving?" You know, he turned down Dean Smith and Carolina before, surely he won't do it again"...blah blah blah. I don't think I'll ever forget one of the interviews at half-time of the championship game...that Kansas was playing in. It was a former Carolina player talking about Roy Williams coming to Carolina. Now why anyone would interview a Carolina player during a Kansas ball game, I have no idea, but that player proceeded to make a comment that has been the epitome of why Kansas fans have such a problem with the whole Roy to Carolina thing. He said, referring to why Carolina deserves to have the best coach in the nation, that Roy Williams should leave Kansas because "this is North Carolina." Well bully for you. This is Kansas. The issue now is with Carolina turning Kansas' Final Four into "we deserve to have the best coach in the nation because we're Carolina" that makes Kansas blood boil. Have some class...Carolina could have waited a week to fire their coach. Then maybe Kansas fans wouldn't hate them so much and this Final Four would be about who and what it should be about.
My problem is not with Roy Williams going to North Carolina. Granted, I didn't like it at the time. I learned to love college basketball while Roy Williams was at Kansas. I was so excited when he announced that he was staying at Kansas in 2000. I loved Roy Williams coaching at Kansas. Yeah, I was upset that he left Kansas...even more upset that Jerod probably would have been sitting on the Kansas bench the next year as one of the assistants. However, I don't now or have I ever hated Roy Williams. He left...we moved on. And we have an awesome coach in Bill Self. I couldn't be happier with our Coach and staff now. I love Coach Self!
That being said...don't write articles telling the Kansas fans how they feel about Roy Williams and then criticizing them for it. And don't write articles telling me how I should feel about Roy Williams. You're putting words in our mouths. Really...for most, if not all of the Kansas fans I know, their "issue" if they have one has absolutely nothing to do with Coach Williams; it has everything to do with Carolina. I once cheered for North Carolina every time they played anyone other than Kansas. That stopped five years ago. Don't criticize me for that... The game on Saturday isn't Roy Williams versus the Kansas fans. It's Kansas versus North Carolina and I for one, hope we kick their Tar Heel tails.
Rock Chalk Jayhawk!
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Road to the Final Four
So...my next few posts will most likely be about the Final Four...and hopefully a KU Championship! Unfortunately, I still have no computer at home so I'm not exactly sure how this will all work out. I'm excited and nervous for the game Saturday. I think this week has just about been the longest week known to man. I'm ready to get this show on the road, while at the same time trying to enjoy every second of the wait. I'm so excited, but the buildup to the game is also stressing me out. That's not the only thing stressing me out, but it's a good excuse. :) I was reading the Lawrence Journal World today and there was an article about Jerod. My family will remember that Jerod Haase was my favorite Jayhawk when he played here. To be honest, he's still my all-time favorite Jayhawk. A couple of weeks ago when I posted about senior day, I noted that Russell is my favorite since Jerod. It just dawned on me this morning that my two favorite Jayhawks ever are both going to be in the Dome on Saturday evening. One will be playing while the other sits on the wrong bench. I suppose I won't hold it against him though. :) Seriously...there is a reason these two have been my favorites. Jerod played all out...heart and soul. You could always count on Jerod to give his all to help the team win. I loved that intensity...that determination. That's also why I love to watch Russell play. Coach has said it many times...RussRob is the heartbeat of this team. He does whatever needs to be done to help this team win. He's also tough as nails. So...RussRob has now superseded Jerod as my favorite...at least until after the game on Saturday. Hopefully it won't be the last time RussRob puts on a Kansas jersey.
Sappiness aside...it's exciting just being in the Final Four...and will be even more so when we win. At least that's what I'm hoping for. Carolina is a good team though, and even though it's no longer March, anything can happen.
So...there it is. My thoughts for today on one "match up" in the Final Four. Silly, I know...but I do love my Jayhawks. So...until next time...
Rock Chalk!
KJo
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