Fried Gator

For lunch today, I went to a Louisiana/Cajun style restaurant in St. Joseph, MO with my mom, my roommate and my roommate’s mom. I was tempted to order an appetizer of fried alligator, but I wasn’t quite that hungry, and I don’t know that anyone else was either (plus there’s probably no way my mom would’ve eaten it). If I had thought about the fact that KU was set to play Florida in basketball tonight, though, I probably would’ve ordered some, eaten it, and enjoyed the feeling of gator going down.

It turns out Kansas didn’t even need my metaphorical help (shocking, isn’t it?) and I got to enjoy Gators going down anyways... With 19 points (including clutch free throws) from Darrell “Shady” Arthur, several big plays and crazy dunks by Julian Wright (who had a career high 21 points), and an all around good team effort, the Jayhawks beat the country’s #1 team 82-80 in overtime. All I know is that if we can play like that against a national championship team that returned all 5 starters, we can play with anybody…

But I’m not here to recap the game – that’s what sports reporters are for (check out the KUSports link to the right if that's what you want). The thing is, watching a game like that is, to quote my best-friend-in-law, “an emotionally draining experience.” I can’t decide if I want to dance a jig, run around in circles, jump up and down while screaming, or take a nap. I watched the game at my friends’ place, and they have a super comfy couch with a chaise lounge on one end. For the last 10 minutes of the game (including OT), I alternately paced the floor, sat on the couch, kneeled on the couch, and jumped around. My stomach was tense, my shoulders were tight… and I’m just a fan. I can’t even imagine being a player or a coach. Can you?

I love watching the players on the bench get excited for good plays and tense at the end of a close game. I enjoy watching young players blossom – from Mario Chalmers quickly going after loose balls on defense and Julian Wright showing off his amazing athleticism to Darrell Arthur calmly sinking several big free throws with all eyes on him. I get excited when there's a big run in points, I worry when someone takes an extra few seconds to get up from a tumble, I get frustrated when players make stupid mistakes, and I get all knotted up when the game is close and every play matters... in other words, I ride an emotional roller coaster for two hours and I'm not even related to anyone playing in the game.

I have to remind myself that these players are just college students – some are as young as 18 and we (the fans) pin our hopes on them for 34+ games per year. I feel for the coaches who can do little more than teach and guide (and scream and yell, I’m sure), and hope that the players listen and learn. So, to all of the players and coaches… thanks for playing, and Rock Chalk Jayhawk, GO KU!!!!!

Side note: Obviously, I was rooting for the Jayhawks, but Florida played a great game as well. I actually enjoyed watching Florida’s run to the Championship last year, so it was fun again to watch them play tonight. I’m not gonna lie, I’m glad they lost – but to Taurean Green, Al Horford, Joakim Noah & the rest – you’ve got amazing talent. But still, I hope that when April rolls around, the Jayhawks go home with the title of National Champs.