Vote for Ditka!

Last weekend I saw the most amazing game.

Historically speaking, K-State has not been a college football powerhouse. By the late 1980s, the program was a mess. Coach Snyder inherited a team in 1989 that had become the first major college football program to amass 500 losses and had won only 6 games over the past five years. Sports Illustrated (and many, many others) referred to it as the worst in NCAA history.

Snyder’s turnaround began slowly with a 1-10 record in 1989 (ending a 30 game winless slide). The year after, the Wildcats amassed 5 wins and would steadily improve upon this working towards a bowl game in 1993—only the second bowl game in school history. The floodgates were opened following the 1993 season. Snyder would coach the Wildcats to 11 straight bowl games including six 11-win seasons and a Big 12 Championship in 2003.

Wildcat victories in the 52 seasons before Coach Snyder: 134
Wildcat victories in the 17 seasons under Coach Snyder: 136

A week and a half ago Coach Snyder announced his retirement after 17 seasons at K-State. A reverent silence fell over a packed Student Union during his televised press conference. The mood was visible on campus. Coach Snyder would have one last game as coach.

Much speculation has been made as to who the school may select to follow in his footsteps—a number of former assistants and a handful of outsiders (some more serious than others). A day after Snyder’s announcement, the campus was plastered with flyers and sidewalk art reading, “Vote for Ditka! Coach 06!”—that’s “Coach Ditka” of Da Bears! But most of the focus was on Saturday, Snyder’s last game.

A number of players were quoted in The Collegian as declaring something to the likes that they would sooner choose death than allow Coach Snyder one more loss. The anticipation leading up to it was like none other and the stadium was electric on game day.

For three quarters the game did not go the way it was supposed to. We (the Wildcats) were down 28-14 at one point in the third. We entered the fourth quarter only down a touchdown and looked to be in good shape as we had first and goal on the one-yard line…and then we fumbled. Our opponent recovered the ball on the five. ugh.

In a turnaround that is nothing short of miraculous, the game suddenly took on a life of its own. A safety and touchdown later we found ourselves nervously clinging to a 29-28 lead late in the fourth. With the wind to their backs, and needing only a field goal with a little over two minutes to go, we were nervous. There were whispers in the crowd as Wildcat fans had already witnessed one too many of these games this season.

And then it happened. With just over a minute-and-a-half remaining, we intercepted a pass and ran it back for a touchdown. The crowd…went…NUTS! The Wildcats had delivered and Coach Snyder received the farewell he deserved.

For those of you know me, let’s just say I was in rare form. When we intercepted that pass, I remember jumping up and down screaming at the top of my lungs and having someone pick me up and a split second later finding myself at the center of a huge dog-pile. It was great!

This Thanksgiving I have one additional event to be thankful for.

K-State Student Football Ticket: $25.00
Pre-Game Meal: $10.00
Witnessing Coach Snyder carried off the field victorious one last time: Priceless

Platform 9¾...

Last spring nearly did me in. Taking a semester to once again enjoy life is helping my outlook. This fall is the first time I have had time to “breathe” in nearly three years. I really am enjoying myself (minus a week or two where the sports world seemed to be crumbling around me). Taking only one class does wonders in terms of reducing stress.

With my newfound extra time, I have been able to catch up with friends and a number of movies—Batman Begins last weekend (which was really great!) and War of the Worlds the weekend before. I am thankful my roommate, Ryan, has been able to take part in this as he has found himself (quote) “too busy” to take on any additional activities this semester. Doesn’t hurt that he too is a Broncos fan.

In addition to catching up on friends and movies, I have also been able to take some time to sit back and read. “Read” as in “read for fun.” As a graduate student it is easy to get caught up in the academic end of things and forget that reading can actually be fun. The last couple of years, my friends in the department and I have made several trips a semester to Barnes & Noble in Topeka just to spend a night looking at books that truly excite our interest.

This fall, in addition to “looking” at books, I am “reading” them as well. A week or two ago I finished Melville’s classic, Moby Dick. A member of my graduate committee (folklore specialist at K-State) was excited to hear that I was reading Moby Dick as she thought my research on Paul and Babe will likely take a similar turn mixing the science of logging with the tales of the ‘jacks. I think she may have something.

The reading did not stop there. Last night I finished the most recent Harry Potter leaving me one last book to complete for the semester: Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman’s Long Way Round. These later two books may not tie into my research in such a way, but they do speak equally as much of my interests as does a fourth: Yancey's The Jesus I Never Knew, which I am currently rereading with a friend.

It is a bit of a deep thought, but I think that for those who know me that these books (in addition to “The Book”) speak volumes of who I am and what I strive to be. That leaves the question: What to read next year? Any suggestions?

Ode to a 39er...

This one’s for Mom…

Many of you know my mom; some even know her cooking (to “know” is to “love”). I have years and years of great memories and have decided to create a top ten “best” moments of the past 5 years.

On second thought, in the spirit of the McKenzie Brothers, a top ten list is just too hard. Therefore, I will make it a top 3 list:

3) MACARONI AND CHEESE: For those of you who don’t know my mom’s cooking, there are two things my mom is known for making: pumpkin pie & macaroni and cheese. Many of you may be thinking, “What’s so special about that? My mom can make pumpkin pie & mac and cheese!” But how many of you have friends who ask if you can talk your mom into making those items?

For most occasions my mom makes two pies: one for the family and one for me. With mac and cheese, she has learned that I will claim it all as mine.

A couple of years ago I wanted to make sure that no one would eat any more of the mac and cheese. To claim it, I took it upon myself to “raspberry” the entire dish. My mom (after rolling her eyes) decided it best to leave a note: “This is John’s. He spit on it—do not eat.”

2) PUMPKIN PIE: I remember my mom attempting to bribe me to come home post-9/11 with a pumpkin pie. I was in Peace Corps at the time—Uzbekistan to be exact. She wrote to let me know that if I was to come home she would be sure to make a pumpkin pie JUST FOR ME!

It almost worked.

And the number one memory of the past 5 years…
1) THE BAG LADY: Somewhere along the way, my mom developed a love for garage sales. This newfound hobby has carried over to birthday and Christmas celebrations. On such occasions my mother does her best “Minnie Pearl” impression dressed in her prized second-hand clothes complete with a hat and hanging price tag. She is all smiles as she digs through the “Bag Lady’s Bag of Goodies” to deliver her treasurers to all.

Her smile and laugh lights up the room.

Thanks for the memories Mom. Happy Birthday!

Love,

Your Son <><

Call me Ishmael.

Finis.

Earlier today I finished Moby Dick. It took a while. I began reading it spring before last, shortly before I left for Kenya, but have hardly cracked the cover since.

Of recent it has been a goal of mine to complete. Much like Ahab’s obsession with the White Whale, I have foregone other activities (such as posting about my return trip to the Gulf) to finish this epic story of a man consumed in thought and life with his mortal enemy.

Favorite quote?
“Real strength never impairs beauty or harmony, but it often bestow it; and in everything imposingly beautiful, strength has much to do with the magic.”

And so it is with Melville’s classic.