Thursday, January 7, 2010

Jayhawk Basketball

This will be a bit different than our regular posts but we all need a distraction and something else in our life than dealing with addiction 24/7. One of my distractions during the winter is Kansas University basketball.

The Jayhawks are currently ranked #1 in the nation. They are a talented group of players and I see in their coach, Bill Self a great leader of young men. When Roy Williams ran out on our program like a thief in the night (no bitterness here, LOL) a few years ago I honestly felt that there was not another top level coach with the integrity and leadership Williams had exhibited available in the NCAA coaching ranks. I looked at programs like Duke and Syracuse and many others that seemed to win but also maintained a standard of excellence in academics and behavior befitting of the Kansas tradition. Those coaches were all taken and had become institutionalized in their own respective universities. Along came Coach Self. A leader of young men that role modeled for not just those kids on his team but for anyone of any age. Competitiveness, integrity, honor and tradition, these are traits that transcend the basketball court, they are life lessons. My hats off to a fine coach and even though I have not met him personally, a fine man.

Last night we attended the KU vs Cornell game. It was real nail biter but The Hawks pulled together at the end of the game to bring another victory to Allen Fieldhouse. For those of you that are not basketball fans you just have to take my word for it that there is nothing like attending a basketball game at Allen Fieldhouse. The history, the traditions and the legacy makes everyone in that building as important as every person on that court and on the sideline.

Plus there are no fans like Hawk fans. When we left for the game 20 miles away it was snowing like a blizzard, expected 6" of blowing drifting snow. The temperature was in the teens and dropping. Travel advisories and winter storm warnings had been issued for the entire area. Allen Fieldhouse was packed full, every seat filled with rabid Jayhawk affectionatos. Count us among the crazies. There is a t-shirt around here that you can buy, on the front it says "Hawkaholic" with a picture of a Jayhawk. On the back it proudly proclaims, "Recovery is NOT an option".

Kinda like what we deal with with our addicts. no matter the weather or obstacles if they want their fix they will get their fix.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Nice, refreshing, everyday stuff post. Wonderful stuff and while I would not venture out in the bad weather, I would be there in spirit!

Namaste

Bar L. said...

Thanks for sharing this, sounds like a great time. I want a shirt that says that except it should read "Bruce-aholic" because I would not miss one of his concerts for ANYTHING. Well never say never these days...

Go Jayhawks!

Josh said...

Rock Chalk :)

clean and crazy said...

HA,HA, yeah!! we are big fans here, we were in Lawrence when they one the final four!! awesome team spirit in that town!! My 'A' is really excited to be going there. but today she signed up to be a West Point Cadet!!! so her no.1 college is KU no.2 is West Point she is so excited!! now she has to train and condition for the next year to be ready if they accept her their physical training program is brutal!! she will be taking some summer school this year as she is graduating a year early from high school so that ups her graduation date to 2011 and at West Point Candidate her graduation date from there will be 2015!!

Debby of Oxycontin and Opiate Addiction: A Mother's Story said...

My husband is a Jayhawk. He graduated from there.
See you in October!