Rock Chalk, Jayhawk!

We live in a college town and it is a great place to be raising our family. The university makes our small town have a multicultural feel that I love. In addition, we have the museums, science and arts ususally found in larger metros.

This time of year, however, it is all about March Madness in my hometown. In my house, it is all about bonding over "our" team, the University of Kansas Jayhawks. We watch the games as a family and I suspect it will be one of the things our kids remember fondly about growing up. My son is a trivia king when it comes to his team and he can cite you chapter and verse about scores, final seconds and the players.

I never imagined that it would be this way.

happy clam's diary :: ::
You see, I'm from a family of all girls. My dad was not into sports and we never watched them on tv. The first time I really followed a team was when I was in college and attended games for the first time. After that I followed along, knowing at least something about the team each season.

I don't think I really got into it until my son was 2 years old. That winter he watched with my DH and learned all the names of the players and their numbers. He was so excited that he took shots on his little nerf hoop at half time every game. He was hooked, and seeing his happiness- I got hooked too. I've learned that there are a lot of life lessons in basketball. Winners, losers, good sports, bad calls. It is all in there. For us basketball contains some of those really good teachable moments- all wrapped up in popcorn, cheering and a mythical bird with a big yellow beak.

It's going to be an exciting night of family bonding at our house tonight. We'll be nervous, we'll be happy, we'll be holding our breath...we'll be proud of "our" team no matter what.

Do you watch sports as a family? Will you be watching the game?

Tags: basketball, parenting (all tags)

Talking points: Kansas Jayhawks win NCAA championship, Memphis Tigers never learn edition

Congratulations to the Kansas Jayhawks for pulling out a most lovely OT victory over the Memphis Tigers in the NCAA Championship last night. The BruceBall Blog already has the pithy breakdown from a Volunteer perspective: Memphis could have put the game away down the stretch when Kansas was forced into DESPERATION FOUL HIM, FOUL HIM mode, but didn't. Then, with time running out in regulation, they could have learned from our very own Bruce Pearl and fouled Kansas instead of letting them take the three point shot that tied the game and sent it to overtime where Memphis lost. I have no idea what this means, but Rock Chalk Jayhawk!
In orange basketball news, Pearl just placed third in the AP Coach of the Year voting, and Tyler Smith and Wayne Chism have both filed with the NBA Advisory Committee to see where they might go in the June 26 NBA draft. They'll get the results in about ten days. Six mock draft boards have Smith going anywhere between 16th of the first round to early second round. Pearl thinks Smith ought to run for the money only if he's in the teens.
Pat Summit and the Lady Vols take on Stanford and that freaky looking, history-of-drunk-and-disorderly tree tonight in the women's NCAA Championship. Stanford's on a 23-game win streak and has already beaten Tennessee once this year. Candace Parker's "non-traumatic" (yes, so-called by someone who's never had one) shoulder dislocation is a significant weakness for the Lady Vols, but if Shannon Bobbitt breaks into another impromptu pre-game rap session, then perhaps Stanford will get Hornbuckle'd just like LSU did.
Football talking points coming atcha lunch time-ish. Until then, tractor dance: