The Phog beckons
Pay heed all who enter -- finally including me!
Towson at Kansas. Tuesday, December 16. I’ll be there.
My bucket list is not long, but attending a game in Allen Fieldhouse, the home of Kansas basketball, will get a checkmark next week.
I’ve been a Jayhawks fan since I was 8 or 9. A neighbor gave me a 1988 championship t-shirt from his garage sale. I grew up in Kansas, but I didn’t know much about the 88 team or what cam before them. But from then on, I stacked up memories connected with other places, all while hearing about The Phog.
My childhood living room watching the 1991 and 1993 Final Fours. The Jefferson Elementary basketball court playing as Rex Walters while my friend Andy played as Adonis Jordan. Andy’s dining room wondering who UTEP was after the 1992 tournament loss. My grandparents’ den looking at a newspaper celebrating the 22-0 start in 1997. My first college house remembering the high-flying dunking of Kenny Gregory with my roommate Nate. Playing pickup basketball wearing my No.00 jersey, the number of seven-footer Greg Ostertag, purchased for $20 at an overstock store. My friend Spencer’s family’s house watching a 13-0 lead develop in the Final Four against Maryland. The living room of our Janice and I’s first rental wishing Michael Lee had pump-faked Hakim Warrick, and deeply appreciating Roy Williams telling Bonnie Bernstein he “could give a shit about North Carolina right now” a week before the only coach I ever knew left Lawrence for Chapel Hill.
The top row of Nebraska’s Devaney Center chanting “Rock Chalk” with away fans in the last minutes of the only time I’ve seen the Jayhawks live. Janice worked all night and went with me to a mid-day Saturday game to see Aaron Miles, Keith Langford, and Wayne Simien in Bill Self’s first year before we moved away from Lincoln and Big 12 country.
Falling on my living room floor after Mario’s Miracle while my first daughter, not quite three months old, slept upstairs in our new house in Tucson. Using Grant Wahl’s recap of the win over Memphis as an example of writing with specific details for my Writing 100 students. Hanging a special newspaper section featuring Sherron Collins on my garage wall. Playing more pickup basketball in my No.00 jersey at Brandi Fenton Park. My Sophomore English classroom every time I said “rock chalk” and my class called out “Jayhawk” when I needed their attention. Living in Tucson and hearing about the 1997 Arizona Wildcats, who took out three No.1 seeds, starting with the best Kansas team imaginable. Living rooms and classrooms with my friend and fellow teacher John W. agreeing with me that the 1997 Kansas team — Paul Pierce, Raef LaFrentz, Jacque Vaughn, Scot Pollard, Jerod Haase and more — was the best anyway.
Working on frustrating house projects or driving in frustrating traffic and exclaiming “Farokhmanesh.” Listening to the 2012 tournament run in the minivan on the way to my sister-in-law’s wedding in Oklahoma. Watching the Final Four game against Ohio State on a hotel television. My classroom again watching a student include Trey Burke force OT in a presentation.
Hanging a mini banner in my garage showing all the real national and conference championship banners in the rafters at The Phog. Contemplating adding the 2018 Final Four to my banner for Frank and D’tae, even though the run got vacated and that banner removed.
My house during quarantine when the 2020 season got canceled and the team I was sure would win it all got blipped out of existence. Stunned silence in Nate’s living room during the 2022 national title game with John W, down 15 to North Carolina. Nate sending me a selfie with Mitch Lightfoot from the Mesa airport.
My living room pointing to my parents’ seats, up and to the left of my television, after they started splitting season tickets with friends and attending a few games a year.
A week from today, I’ll fly back to Kansas and drive up to Lawrence and be there. My mom, dad and uncle will, too. Maybe potential No.1 NBA draft pick Darryn Peterson will be there, if his hamstring allows. Bill Self will be there. And Flory Bidunga, a classic Self big, and fellow Bonnie Melvin Council Jr. And Naismith Court and trophies and banners and Mitch Lightfoot’s shoes and the original rules of basketball. I’ll be sure to send a dispatch from The Phog.